Because I Love You
by Genki Collective
Summary: Reisen and Youmu's close friendship finally blossoms into passion. But can their new relationship survive a prank gone horribly wrong? Yuri. Rated M for language and sexual content. CHAPTER 4: Reisen acts on her vow of forgiveness.
1. Chapter 1

_**DISCLAIMERS: **_I don't own any of the Touhou characters appearing herein. They're the intellectual property of ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. This story constitutes "fair use" of these characters as provided for under applicable U.S. and international copyright laws.

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Dedicated to Musican74 – Happy Belated Birthday!

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**Chapter 1**

Reisen Udongein Inaba headed across the courtyard of Eientei toward the north hall, fully-laden tray in hand, walking as fast as she could without spilling anything. The mansion's owner, Moon-Princess Houraisan Kaguya, expected her tea and sweets to arrive at precisely 16:00, and given that it was 15:59, Reisen – a last minute stand-in for the job – was cutting it close.

In theory, delivering afternoon tea to the Princess was Tewi's responsibility, but as usual, she had skipped out on work. More than likely, she was engaging in one of her favorite pastimes: raiding the carrot patch, sneaking sake, or heating up a futon with one of her harem of a half-dozen of her fellow rabbit youkai.

But it didn't really matter _why_ Tewi wasn't around, only that she wasn't. It meant that someone had to pick up the slack. That "someone" was, as usual, the level-headed, reliable Reisen.

Still, although the long-suffering moon-rabbit had good cause to grumble, it didn't seem worth it to waste the mental energy. Tewi would get hers – she usually did. Not only that, the weather was so nice that Reisen couldn't help but be cheerful.

Although the temperature was unseasonably cool for late May, the sun shone brightly through the opening in the canopy of the impenetrable bamboo forest surrounding the Eientei complex. The flowers in the boxes in front of each of the four main buildings were in full bloom, their splotches of bright color contrasting with the dark wood of the walls, and their fragrance tickling Reisen's sensitive nose. In the distance, she heard the song of the earth-rabbit work crew pounding mochi in an out-building behind the eastern hall.

_The first strike is for Lord Daikoku,  
__The second strike is for Lord Daikoku, and for all of the 180 children…_

Despite the fact that she had her trademark blue blazer on, Reisen shivered as the spring breeze swept across her exposed thighs. A hot drink, and maybe a pair of thigh-highs to go with her pleated skirt, would definitely ease the chill, but those would have to wait. Like any loyal servant, the moon-rabbit had to put her mistresses' comfort first.

_The third strike is for Lady Kaguya,  
__The fourth strike is for Lady Eirin…_

After mounting the steps to the north hall of Eientei, Reisen knocked twice on the sliding door at the front of the building.

"Come in," a high, gentle voice sang out.

Reisen slipped into the room and waited for the owner of the voice, a fragile-looking, kimono-clad woman with waist-length black hair, to acknowledge her presence.

"Ah, it's Inaba, not Tewi." Kaguya, the black-haired woman, glanced at Reisen with only mild surprise. "Oh, well. Right on time, as usual. That's what counts."

"Your tea, Princess," Reisen replied with a bow. "And for Master, as well," she added, with a respectful nod toward Kaguya's companion, a buxom Lunarian dressed in red and blue, whose silver hair lay draped over her shoulder in a heavy, rope-like braid. The woman – Yagokoro Eirin, the physician to whom Reisen was apprenticed – returned Reisen's gesture with a frown.

"Where's Tewi this time?"

"Sorry, Master, I couldn't find her." After setting a steaming carafe of tea, two mugs, and a plate of sweets on the table in front of the Lunarians, Reisen turned to Kaguya and asked, "Will there be anything else, Princess?"

Kaguya shook her head.

"No, but stick around. It's good that you're here – what we're talking about concerns you, sort of." The Moon-Princess turned her attention back to Eirin. "So anyway, the meeting is tonight. The Hakurei Shrine Maiden claims it's urgent – something to do with the Great Barrier. That's why she called the full Gensoukyou Council together, not just the executive committee. I can't ignore it, and I can't send you in my place. I have to be there."

"But my Lady," Eirin countered, still frowning, "just being around Earthlings for any length of time makes you nervous. Especially a certain immortal."

"Oh, please. Mokou and I are perfectly capable of keeping things civil for a couple hours. Well, at least _I_ am."

Truth be told, Reisen wasn't paying close attention to this part of the conversation. The fact that Kaguya and Fujiwara no Mokou weren't exactly on the best of terms was news that was 1,300 years too old. While she waited to be dismissed, Reisen allowed the Lunarians' voices to recede to a faint buzz, until Kaguya said something that reclaimed her full attention.

"…and that's why we're going to take Inaba with us to the meeting."

Reisen's heart sank. From what she'd heard, Gensoukyou Council meetings were a crashing bore, serving mostly as an undercard event for the party that almost always followed. And Hakurei Shrine parties always got rowdy once the liquor started flowing. Reisen hadn't been to one of those gatherings in years, and with good reason: after her last party, she'd awakened the next morning with bruises on her breasts and rear end from all the groping, along with the vague memory of having done something foolish.

Reisen wasn't in the mood for another evening of bad decisions and sexual harassment, but she couldn't exactly refuse Kaguya outright. The first and last time she defied the Princess directly, she'd wound up restrained to her bed, suffering through the effects of a dosage of Eirin's latest experimental psychotropic. Reisen had no desire to repeat the miserable twelve hours she spent tasting sounds and smelling colors, so she fell back on Plan B: talk her way out of going.

"But Princess, if I go with you two, who'll keep an eye on Tewi? She'll have this place burned to the ground before we get back. You remember what happened last time we left her in charge, don't you?"

"Don't worry about Tewi," Eirin said. "I'll test out that reformulated sleep aid on her. She'll be out like a light. The other earth-rabbits will be fine without her to rile them up."

Kaguya nodded her agreement.

"See, Inaba? Problem solved."

"But, Princess…"

"You're coming along, Inaba, so deal with it," Kaguya insisted, her tone turning icy. "I refuse to be upstaged by any of the others, especially that insufferable brat of a vampire. She always brings this huge entourage with her, like she's some sort of royalty. The least I can do as a _real_ princess is to bring a bodyguard, for the sake of my dignity if nothing else." Kaguya's attitude softened, and then suddenly, she smiled – with a hint of calculation, Reisen thought. "Besides, it's not like you won't have company. You get along with most of the other servants, don't you? Especially the Netherworld Governor's cute little sword instructor."

Reisen did a double-take.

"Wait, Youmu-…um, I mean, the Netherworld people are going to be there? I thought you said this was a Gensoukyou Council meeting."

"Apparently, Yuyuko-san got invited, too, although she's technically not a Council member," Kaguya said, curling her upper lip in annoyance. "It's the Gap Youkai's doing, I'll bet. She and Yuyuko-san are thick as thieves, you know."

"They're definitely troublemakers, those two," Eirin added. "Yakumo's always up to something, and that ghost just eggs her on. Remember when they…"

Once again, Reisen tuned them out. Her mind was still processing the revelation that Konpaku Youmu – sword instructor, bodyguard, and gardener to Saigyouji Yuyuko, Governor of the Netherworld – was going to be at the Hakurei Shrine that evening. If she hadn't been in front of Kaguya and Eirin, the moon-rabbit would have squealed with delight at the unexpected news.

Officially, Youmu and Reisen were best friends – at least, that's how they described themselves to others. In reality, they were much more: in recent months, their friendship had grown so intense that people had begun to refer to them behind their backs as a couple.

As embarrassing as the gossip sometimes was, it wasn't very far from the truth. For her part, Reisen was far beyond friendship and into the grip of a consuming, panty-dampening crush. She hadn't been in this deep over anyone since she was a young school-rabbit, back in the old days on the Moon. And despite the insecurities that come with new love, she was convinced that Youmu felt just as strongly about her.

They'd been teetering on the edge of crossing that final boundary for several weeks, but they never seemed to find enough time alone to make a confession happen. In fact, because of their respective job demands, it had been over two weeks since they'd last been with each other, and Reisen hadn't expected to see the half-human, half-phantom for another several days, at least.

But that night, the forced separation would finally end, and she and Youmu would make up for all that lost time. And if things went the way Reisen hoped, Youmu would take her by the hand, look deeply into her eyes, and say…

"Inaba? Um, Moon to Inaba…" Kaguya's words yanked Reisen out of her reverie. "…pay attention."

The moon-rabbit felt the flush creep up the back of her neck.

"Sorry, Princess."

"I think you lost her when you mentioned Konpaku," Eirin said with a trace of amusement in her voice. "Look, she's even drooling a little."

"O, ho!" Kaguya's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Inaba's daydreaming about her sweetie again, huh? Isn't that adorable?"

"They grow up so fast," Eirin said, dabbing at an imaginary tear. "Young love is always so passionate, isn't it?"

"Wait, what? Um…geez, you two…it's nothing like that!" Reisen's cheeks blazed even hotter. Had she been that obvious? "In the first place, Youmu and I are close friends. That's all there is to it. Second, I'm not young – I'm almost 70!"_ And in the third place, you two sound like a couple of perverted old geezers, _she wanted to add, but wisely didn't.

"Sure, and I'm Lord Tsukuyomi," Eirin snorted.

"We're. Just. Friends!" Reisen drew out the phrase for emphasis, poking an index finger into her palm with each word.

"Of course you are." Kaguya's smile was far too smug for Reisen's taste. "Don't worry, you'll get to see your girlfriend soon enough."

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"Whatever you say, Inaba." Kaguya giggled into a hand. "She might as well be, the way the two of you act when you're together." Her raised hand cut off Reisen's further attempt at protest. "We leave for the Shrine at 18:00 sharp, so be ready. Now, if you'll excuse us…"

With a bow so half-hearted that it skirted the edge of respect, Reisen fled the room, glad to get away from the teasing. Both Kaguya and Eirin could be insufferable, and Youmu was one of Reisen's many weak spots that they loved to chip away at. Even so, she knew they meant well, and besides, the prospect of seeing Youmu again had her so excited that there was no way she was going to stay exasperated with them for very long.

Mental images of the warrior flitted across her consciousness: the special smile, infinitely warm, that Youmu reserved for Reisen alone; the slender, toned body that the moon-rabbit had so often imagined pressed against her own, naked and horizontal; those eyes, slate-blue and oh-so-dangerous. She was a lethal weapon, this Konpaku Youmu, and not just because of the swords she wielded with such devastating precision. With a single glance, she could shred Reisen's defenses and leave her wet and trembling. Like an addict perpetually jonesing for a fix, the moon-rabbit couldn't get enough.

Later that evening, Reisen would satisfy her Youmu craving, but for now, there was the day's work to finish. After that was taken care of, she'd prepare for the party. That meant taking a bath, of course, as well as making sure that her tightest-fitting blouse and shortest skirt were properly pressed. It also meant pulling that sexy bra-and-thong combination out of the secret place where she'd hidden it from Tewi's prying eyes.

Yes, tonight would be _the_ night, Reisen hoped. No sense holding back.

* * *

As Reisen followed Kaguya and Eirin through the Hakurei Shrine's massive red gate and up the broad path toward the oratory building, she realized – much to her annoyance – that they were the last to arrive. She'd hoped for a reunion with Youmu before the meeting, but Kaguya's need to make a grand entrance had made that impossible. As a loyal subordinate, Reisen could do little but roll with the situation, but on the inside, she seethed with impatience.

A crowd of about two dozen people had assembled on the front steps of the oratory: the Gensoukyou Council, along with their various advisers and attendants. Since the full body didn't meet that often, and even then only if it had something truly important to consider, there were members present whom Reisen hadn't seen in person for months, or even years. Under different circumstances, she might have paid more attention to the attendees at such a rare gathering, but that evening, she was really only focused on one person.

Sure enough, Youmu stood on the oratory porch, ramrod-straight behind her mistress Yuyuko, who was sitting on the top step. As always, the sword-fighter was impeccably turned out in her usual forest-green skirt-vest combination and crisply-starched white blouse, all of which were custom-tailored to her petite, athletic form. Not a single hair in her silver, jaw-length bob was out of place, and even the green-and-white bow attached to her hairband appeared to have been meticulously pressed.

As any diligent bodyguard would, Youmu scanned the crowd, hand resting on the hilt of the short sword strapped to her waist. Her usual serious expression gave way to a glorious smile of welcome the moment she caught sight of Reisen coming up the walkway. At that precise moment, a break opened in the clouds, bathing the front of the oratory in the light of the setting sun. Youmu took on a hint of golden aura, as if she was an ancient god, complete with holy swords, reincarnated as an innocent young girl.

Reisen caught her breath, and just like that, the wonderful fizzy feeling she always got when she was near Youmu bubbled up inside of her.

Hakurei Reimu, the gathering's host, greeted the three newcomers, and after rolling her eyes at Kaguya's obviously insincere apology for being late, escorted the Princess and Eirin to seats on the broad oratory stairs. Reisen noticed they had been placed well away from Mokou, who was already giving Kaguya the frog eye. The moon-rabbit silently thanked Reimu for doing so; the last thing everyone needed was for those two to disrupt the gathering with their blood-feuding. Reisen took up position to one side of the stairs, close enough that she'd have time to intervene if things went sour between the two belligerents.

For much of the next two hours, the Council discussed recent developments involving the Great Barrier that protected Gensoukyou from the Outside World. While the Barrier had never been completely impenetrable, the seams in it had always been in fixed, easily identifiable locations, at least on the Gensoukyou side. But recently, the Barrier had been going through a period of instability, and there were new openings appearing and disappearing on an almost daily basis. Youkai who circumvented the so-called "Vampire Contract" by sneaking through the Barrier to feed on humans were getting stuck on the Outside when the openings they'd used suddenly disappeared. Not surprisingly, the Council members were divided over what caused the phenomenon and what to do about it, if anything.

Not that the proceedings interested Reisen all that much. She'd never given much thought to such things as magical barriers, the Outside, or Gensoukyou politics, preferring to leave those matters to her seniors. Now and again she'd pay attention – especially when Kaguya and Mokou sniped at each other – but most of the time, her eyes sought out Youmu.

After several minutes of sneaking peeks at the half-human, Reisen got caught in the act. A wisp of a smile crept across Youmu's lips, and when her eyes locked with Reisen's – just for a moment – the glow in them said, "Keep looking." From that point, the two traded surreptitious glances like crushing schoolgirls.

As the meeting dragged on, Reisen's frustration spiraled. To be standing only a few meters away from the object of her affection, unable to do anything more than make occasional eye contact, was maddening.

Then she had an idea. It was so simple, really, that she wondered why she hadn't thought of it earlier. If she manipulated a few sound waves, she'd be able to talk to Youmu directly despite the distance between them. The clandestine conversation would be one-sided, and she risked getting caught, but it was better than doing nothing.

_Hello, Youmu. _Reisen's lips barely moved; on the other side of the oratory's porch, several meters away, her voice was a mere whisper, soft enough that only Youmu could hear it. _How's my favorite – what's the word? Samurai? Right, how's my favorite samurai this evening?_

Youmu turned to look behind her, as if expecting someone to be standing there. When she didn't see anyone, she turned back toward Reisen, eyes wide.

_Surprised? I'm using my wave-form ability. Pretty cool, huh?_

The warrior nodded her agreement.

_It's been too long,_ Reisen continued. _Okay, it's only been two weeks, but I-…_ Was it too forward to say she missed Youmu? Probably, but the moon-rabbit was long past the point of holding back. _…I really missed you. I hoped I'd see you in the Human Village last Monday, but I guess you couldn't make it, huh?_

Youmu shook her head, her lower lip curling into an adorable pout that made Reisen's knees go weak.

_So you missed me too, huh?_

Another nod.

_How about after the party starts, I kidnap you for a while and we have a drink together? _The sword-master's tiny smile returned. Reisen grinned back at her and added, _I'll take that as a yes_.

Unfortunately, Eirin – who had become suspicious of what Reisen was up to – was watching their exchange.

"Knock it off, Udonge. Save that for later."

Eirin's use of her personal nickname for Reisen may have been affectionate, but her tone definitely wasn't. The conversation was over. With an apologetic shrug toward Youmu, Reisen turned her attention back to the meeting. For the rest of the time, she didn't dare make eye contact with the little sword-fighter, no matter how badly she wanted to. One simply didn't cross Eirin, as Tewi had found out earlier that evening. The gold-bricking earth-rabbit was currently tied to a support column in Eirin's personal apartment, riding out a dose of Butterfly Dream Pills, nightmare type. Reisen didn't want similar treatment, so she tried to pay attention, but the long-winded discussion made it heavy going.

Finally, after Reisen's eyes had nearly rolled back into her head, the meeting ended. Unfortunately, that didn't mean she could run off to Youmu just yet. Her first priority was to attend to Kaguya and Eirin, after all, and that meant making sure the two had enough food and drink. The Moon-Princess had a healthy appetite for both, so for a good while, Reisen was kept in constant motion. Her one consolation was that Youmu was similarly occupied with Yuyuko, who ate and drank even more than Kaguya, if possible. Eventually, relief came from Eirin.

"Go on, Udonge – I know you want to be with her," the doctor whispered. "I'll take care of Lady Kaguya."

"Thank you, Master!"

Reisen found Youmu on the oratory stairs, sandwiched between Yuyuko and Yakumo Yukari, the Gap Youkai, who were – in the moon-rabbit's biased opinion – inflicting far too much skinship on their young companion. Poor Youmu was turning her head to avoid the sake bottle Yuyuko held up, while at the same time fighting to keep Yukari's hands off of her breasts and thighs. She had a look of utter desperation on her face. Reisen stepped in front of group and cleared her throat.

"Saigyouji-san, I'm very sorry to intrude. May I please speak to you for a moment?"

Reisen didn't usually use polite speech with earth-youkai – honorifics were an Earthling conceit, in her opinion – but Yuyuko was Youmu's employer and guardian, and there was nothing to be gained by offending her sensibilities. For her part, the ghost pulled the liquor bottle away from the mortified Youmu and shot Reisen a blank look, as if they'd never met, even though they'd spoken dozens of times in the past.

"And you are?"

"Reisen Udongein Inaba."

After a second or two, the light of recognition dawned.

"Oh, right! You're Kaguya's moon-rabbit, the one my Youmu's obsessed with, aren't you?"

Poor beleaguered Youmu clapped her hands to her face, her delight at seeing Reisen quickly giving way to consternation.

"Yuyuko-sama! Don't say such embarrassing things!"

"Why not? It's the truth, isn't it?" This came from Yukari, who promptly lifted her sake bowl, and before Youmu could reply, added, "To young love."

"_Kanpai_," Yuyuko answered, emptying her own bowl. "Now, Reisen-moon-bunny, what business does a living creature like you have with the Governor of the Netherworld?"

Reisen gritted her teeth at the insulting term "bunny," but let it pass.

"May Youmu please join me for a drink?"

"In other words," Yukari said with a leer, "you're asking Yuyuko if it's all right for you to take her cute little Youmu around behind the storehouse for a nice, long snog. Am I right?"

Reisen and Youmu, their faces turning a bright crimson, simultaneously whirled on the Gap Youkai and snapped, "It's not like that!"

The two elder youkai exchanged knowing grins, after which Yuyuko said, "All right, Youmu, you can go. I want some private time with Yukari, anyway." She winked at Reisen suggestively. "Be gentle, moon-bunny – it's her first time."

At a loss as to how to respond, Reisen merely stared at the smirking ghost, but Youmu stomped her foot in fury.

"Yuyuko-sama, really!"

"Come on, let's go," Reisen urged, taking Youmu's hand and dragging her away from the laughing women.

After commandeering a bottle of sake and two bowls, along with a plate of rice crackers, the two wound up a few paces west of the Hakurei Shrine gate, seated on the top steps of the great, winding stairway that led up from the valley. They were close enough to see what was going on in the area in front of the oratory, but far enough away from the nearest cluster of party-goers to have a private conversation.

While Reisen poured the sake, Youmu untied her swords and gently set them on the top step, then slumped down next to them with a weary sigh. After a moment, a large, silvery, translucent shadow, as long as Youmu was tall, materialized seemingly from out of nowhere: Youmu's phantom half. It circled around the two girls a few times before retreating to hover behind the warrior's shoulder.

"I'm really sorry about those two perverts," Youmu grumbled. "They're always doing weird things to me."

"What, they molest you like that all the time?"

The sword-master shrugged.

"Yukari-sama does, but then again, she gropes everyone. Yuyuko-sama respects my physical boundaries – always has in the 60-plus years I've served her – but she likes to embarrass me too much. Geez, I can't believe she said that in front of you – I could just scream sometimes."

"Believe me, I can relate," Reisen replied, remembering Kaguya and Eirin's treatment of her earlier that day. "But forget about them for a while. It's a beautiful night. The moon's rising, and the stars are just coming out. Let's enjoy ourselves for a bit, okay?"

At Reisen's words, Youmu's annoyance faded away, and she smiled warmly.

"You're right. Here I was missing you so much, and now that we're finally together again, I'm ruining the mood by complaining. We should be celebrating instead, right? So let's do that." Youmu raised her sake bowl. "To Reisen-san."

"To Youmu…" Reisen replied, matching the gesture. In her head, she added, _…my precious person._

For a while, the two girls sipped sake and made small talk, content to enjoy each other's company. Reisen paid less attention to what was said than to Youmu herself. With the pale moonlight reflecting off of the perfect symmetry of her face, the warrior was so heartbreakingly beautiful that the lovesick moon-rabbit had to keep reminding herself to breathe. For her part, Youmu seemed to hang on every one of Reisen's words.

After a few minutes of trivial chit-chat, the conversation finally turned in a more serious direction. The catalyst was Youmu's mention of the latest bit of gossip making the rounds of Gensoukyou, which – no surprise to Reisen – concerned Reimu and her three closest associates: self-described "ordinary magician" Kirisame Marisa, Reimu's childhood friend; Kochiya Sanae, Wind-Priestess of the Moriya Shrine; and Izayoi Sakuya, chief maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. The drama that seemed to constantly swirl around Gensoukyou's four most powerful humans provided a steady stream of grist for local rumor mill.

"The latest word is that something's up between Sanae-san and Sakuya-san," Youmu reported, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Supposedly, Sanae-san's been spending an awful lot of time at the Mansion lately. That nosy crow tengu claims she overheard the Mountain Goddesses complaining about it. She tried to get pictures of the two of them for her newspaper, but she can never seem to catch them together."

"Aya's pretty persistent, so if she can't dig up the dirt, there probably isn't any," Reisen countered. "Besides, the whole thing makes no sense. Sanae's after Reimu – she doesn't bother to hide it. She keeps confessing and getting shot down, because Reimu doesn't do relationships. Something about her position not allowing her to play favorites. Besides, everyone knows that Sakuya never got over Marisa dumping her, and that she wants Marisa back. Sorry, I just don't see Sakuya with Sanae. It'd be weird."

"I don't believe the rumor, either, but even if it's not true, with all the stuff that _is_ going on with those girls…how can they stay friends, even? I don't really get it." Youmu paused for a moment, gazing off into the night sky thoughtfully before adding, "Humans sure are complicated, aren't they?"

Reisen raised an eyebrow.

"…said the half-human."

"Emphasis on _half_," Youmu retorted. "I'm mixed-species, Reisen-san, remember? I'm not the fragile creature that a full-blooded human girl would be." She flipped a thumb over her shoulder in the general direction of Reimu and her three companions, who were sitting in a group on the lawn near the oratory steps. "Sometimes when I look at those four, I'm _glad_ I'm not fully human. They always seem so, I don't know, desperate. I guess I can understand that, since their lives are so short. Still, I'll admit youkai don't have it any easier." She paused for a moment, eyeing Reisen speculatively. "In fact, I can think of a major disadvantage to being half phantom."

"And that is…?"

To Reisen's surprise, Youmu took her by the hand. Her callused fingers, cooler to the touch than the flesh of any living being, left tingles in their wake as they traced across Reisen's skin.

"Warmth," Youmu replied. "The lack of it, I mean. Ghosts, phantoms – we all hunger for warmth. The kind I feel when I hold your hand." After a long moment, during which her eyes never left Reisen's, she added, "You don't mind me doing this, do you? Your hand is so soft that I don't want to let it go. Ever."

She squeezed Reisen's hand a bit tighter, and then shifted until they were sitting hip to hip, shoulder to shoulder. Gone was the blushing maiden who had acted so embarrassed in front of Yuyuko and Yukari. Youmu's eyes, dark and deep, bored into Reisen's without flinching.

"Wow, you're being, um, bolder than usual tonight," Reisen said, her heart fluttering.

"And what if I am, Reisen-san?" Something in the way Youmu spoke her name felt different from all the times before – a total, delightful departure from the norm that ignited a fire deep inside Reisen's belly.

"Keep doing it," the moon-rabbit said, her voice suddenly ragged. "I really like it."

"I'm glad you do. For some reason, I want to say bold things to you tonight. Things that I've wanted to tell you for so long, but the time never seemed right until now. It's my perfect opportunity."

Reisen was now absolutely certain of what was coming.

"Go ahead, sword-master. Tell me something bold."

Youmu's voice mellowed to a purr.

"Oh, I intend to. But first, I wanted to say that what you did earlier, when you whispered in my ear from far away – that was really nice. For a second, I thought you were standing right next to me. It made me tingle when you did that."

"Well, I wanted to talk to you," Reisen said. "_Needed_ to. I couldn't wait any longer. These last two weeks were hard on me."

Youmu leaned closer, so close that Reisen thought for a moment they were going to kiss. But just before it seemed their lips would meet, the half-human pulled up short, saying, "How about I return the favor, and whisper in _your_ ear this time? I have something really important to say. It's one of my most precious secrets, and don't want anyone else to hear it but you."

Reisen tried to respond, but the lump in her throat wouldn't go away no matter how many times she tried to swallow it. She quivered at the sensation of the warrior's breath on her hyper-sensitive ear.

"Reisen-san, I l-…"

A sudden, enraged bellow echoed throughout the shrine area, cutting off Youmu in mid-whisper, and obliterating the romantic atmosphere with a blast of screamed profanity.

"Fucking Moon-Bitch! I'm gonna burn your ass to a crisp!"

Mokou's voice.

The answering taunt, nearly a half-octave higher, was every bit as ear-shattering.

"Hah! You flatter yourself, Man-Woman!"

Kaguya.

_Oh, shit,_ Reisen thought. _Not here, not now. Damn them! _She leaped to her feet. "They're fighting again. I've got to go help Master Eirin stop them. They'll level the entire shrine if I don't."

"I'm going with you," Youmu insisted, following Reisen toward the oratory.

To Reisen's disgust, the confrontation between Kaguya and Mokou turned out to be little more than sound and fury. The two would-be combatants were far too drunk to do any actual fighting. In fact, no sooner had Eirin, Reisen, Youmu, and the other by-standers broken up their fight than Kaguya was curled up with her head on Eirin's lap, sleeping peacefully, as if Mokou never existed. The only thing to come out of the whole sordid episode was that Reisen's perfect moment with Youmu, the one she'd been anticipating since that afternoon, was gone forever.

"I have to help Master get Princess Kaguya home," the moon-rabbit explained to Youmu when they were finally able to talk again. "I'm really sorry."

"It can't be helped." The sword-fighter's tone was light, but the look on her face mirrored Reisen's own crushing sense of disappointment.

"No, it can't, but it still sucks," Reisen said. "I want to see you again soon, and I don't want to wait. Sunday's our mutual day off. You want to hang out at my place?"

After a moment's thought, Youmu shook her head.

"Unfortunately, I can't. Yuyuko-sama has business in Higan, and I have to go with her."

"How about Monday, then? I'll be at the Human Village that morning, as usual. And guess what? My calendar is wide open at lunchtime. Hint, hint."

Youmu's face lit up like a beacon.

"I'll be there if I have to beg Yuyuko-sama on my knees for time off," she said. "She owes me for Sunday, anyway."

"Then it's a date," Reisen said. "How about we meet in the village square at noon?"

Youmu nodded.

"Noon it is. And now, you'd better go, before Eirin-sama comes looking for you. But first, I have something to give you."

To Reisen's surprise, Youmu untied her collar ribbon, pulled it off, and pressed it into the moon-rabbit's hand.

"Tonight was too short, and Monday seems so far away," she said, lowering her voice so that only Reisen could hear. "While we're apart, if you get lonely, maybe this will help." She patted the moon-rabbit's hand that held the ribbon. "When you look at it, think of me."

Instinctively, Reisen raised the ribbon to her nose. It smelled of cherry blossoms and vanilla, just like Youmu.

For a moment, the moon-rabbit gazed at the warrior in wonder. As always, Youmu seemed to know exactly what to say and do to touch her soul. And she was so earnest about it, and so adorable, that Reisen had to fight off the impulse to cling to her right there in front of everyone.

"I wish it was Monday already," she said, carefully tucking the ribbon in the left chest pocket of her blazer. _Over my heart, where it belongs,_ she thought.

* * *

**A/N:**

− Many thanks to Gray Voice for the stellar editorial work, and for reining in my literary flights of fancy.

− In canon, Youmu's eye color varies from game to game. For the purposes of this story, I assumed her human half has blue eyes and her phantom half (if it shape-shifts into a human-half clone) has red eyes, because those seem to be common choices in fanart.

− I don't own _Udomyon,_ the cover art. All rights to it belong to the artist, Kezune (seiga [d0t] nicovideo [d0t] jp/seiga/im3829270).

* * *

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	2. Chapter 2

_**DISCLAIMERS: **_I don't own any of the Touhou characters appearing herein. They're the intellectual property of ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. This story constitutes "fair use" of these characters as provided for under applicable U.S. and international copyright laws.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

For Reisen, the two and a half days between the party and her trip to the Human Village – Friday evening to Monday morning – really drove home the meaning of the proverb, "one day, a thousand autumns." The time went by so slowly that it might as well have been standing still.

Leaving Youmu behind had been far more difficult than the moon-rabbit expected. Even more surprising was the sense of longing that had consumed Reisen since then. Youmu's collar ribbon – now Reisen's most prized possession – became her talisman against the emptiness of separation.

And then there were the dreams, the kind that a girl never wants to wake up from: of Youmu clinging to her, touching her in exactly the right places, sending her over the edge of pleasure with sublime words of devotion: _You're mine, Reisen-san. I love you._

As hour after excruciating hour of waiting crawled by, Reisen had grown increasingly desperate to be with Youmu again. By Monday morning, she was a quivering mass of rabbit-flesh, barely able to focus on selling medicine.

Fortunately, while she didn't move all of her stock, she at least managed to meet quota; that would keep Eirin happy, at least. And apart from one particular incident where she tried to sell suppositories to a customer with a sore throat, she didn't make any glaring mistakes, despite the fact that her thoughts were mostly on Youmu.

As she hawked Eirin's nostrums, Reisen kept an eye on the approaches to the village square, hoping to catch sight of Youmu, or at least of her phantom half floating through the air, but a surge of business just before the noon hour diverted her attention. It wasn't until she'd finished with her last customer and was about to load a crate of unsold medicine onto her hand cart that the familiar voice took her by surprise.

"Excuse me, Sensei, but do you have any pills that'll cure loneliness?"

In her excitement, Reisen let go of the crate, which hit the ground with a loud thump.

"Youmu!"

The two eagerly clasped hands, as if they hadn't seen each other in a year. The only thing stopping Reisen from sweeping the half-human into a hug, swords and all, was the fact that they were standing in the middle of the crowded village square.

"Hello, Reisen-san," Youmu said, beaming up at her companion. Not to be left out, her phantom half wound itself around the moon-rabbit's knees, nuzzling them like a cat marking its territory, then nudged at her elbow, as if expecting to be petted.

"Wow, such an affectionate greeting." Reisen let go of Youmu's hands to stroke the phantom hovering next to her. "I guess you missed me."

Youmu's smile faded abruptly. She took a step forward, squarely into Reisen's personal space, her eyes smoldering in a way that sent the moon-rabbit's stomach into back-flips.

"Desperately," she said. "But I'm with you again, Reisen-san, so I'm not lonely anymore."

All at once, Reisen's mind went blank. Usually, she liked it when Youmu stood this close, but the warrior's words had left her uncharacteristically flustered. Her cheeks burned with a mixture of embarrassment and desire.

"By the way," Youmu continued, "we still have a conversation to finish. Don't think I've forgotten…"

_Believe me, I haven't forgotten, either, _Reisen wanted to say, but her vocal cords wouldn't work.

The two stood gazing at each other in silence, oblivious to the hustle and bustle around them. The only coherent thought Reisen managed to form was one that had already drifted through her fevered brain many times before: that Youmu's eyes were the most beautiful shade of blue she'd ever seen.

After a long moment, the half-human broke the spell by clearing her throat.

"…but that'll have to wait until later. Need help packing up?"

"Yeah, um, that'd be nice," Reisen said, her voice a bit shaky. "Are you hungry?"

With a groan, the half-human nodded.

"You have no idea. I spent hours this morning making lunch and snacks for Yuyuko-sama, but I didn't eat anything myself. I didn't want to spoil my appetite. So where are we going? The tea house?"

Reisen shook her head.

"That was my original plan, but it's not very private. Besides, the owners have gotten weird about non-humans eating there since the Underworld oni trashed the place."

"That's true," Youmu said. "I haven't been able to take my phantom half inside ever since. But it's a beautiful day, so why don't we get take-out instead? We could find a quiet place outside town. How about over by the Bamboo Forest, close to Eientei?"

The mention of the Forest gave Reisen a sudden flash of inspiration.

"Take-out sounds great," she said. "And I know just where to eat it, too – those hills south of the Myouren Temple, along the path to Mokou's place. They're covered in wildflowers. Great place for a picnic, don't you think?"

Youmu's smile broadened just a bit.

"A flower field? Who knew you were such a romantic?"

"Well, it's the company I've been keeping lately," Reisen said, turning away so Youmu wouldn't see the blush return to her cheeks. "Come on, help me load up and I'll take you there."

After their visit to the tea house, the two headed down the south road out of town, with Youmu insisting on pushing the cart. The weather was ideal for a walk through the countryside: all blue sky and bright sunshine, and warm enough that Reisen was glad she'd left her blazer behind at Eientei.

The duo chatted as they walked, mostly about Reisen's experiences in the village that morning, and about the amusing events surrounding Youmu's recent visit to Kazami Yuuka, the Flower Youkai, to ask for gardening advice. One topic they didn't discuss was Friday night; Youmu didn't bring it up, and Reisen wasn't about to, especially in casual conversation.

Finally, after passing the Myouren Temple, they turned left onto the pathway that led to the Bamboo Forest of the Lost.

"Right behind that hill," Reisen said, pointing into the distance. "There's a little hollow back there."

On the other side of the hill in question lay a small vale, its turf covered with patches of white, yellow, and purple field flowers. The faint sound of buzzing insects floated lazily on the soft breeze.

"It's beautiful," Youmu said, sniffing appreciatively. "Really fragrant."

"It's not as spectacular as Yuuka's garden, but hey, it'll do. I come here sometimes when I want to think about things without Tewi bothering me."

At Reisen's direction, Youmu positioned the cart so that it couldn't be seen from the pathway.

"Time to eat," the moon-rabbit announced. After retrieving the lunch box, she stationed herself on a small patch of bare turf and began to unpack it. The grilled fish – fresh from Misty Lake – steamed rice, and roasted vegetables looked delicious, and their combined aromas were heavenly. After sending her phantom half to watch over the cart, Youmu laid her swords aside and sat down beside Reisen, goggling at the food as if she hadn't eaten for days.

Reisen had shared many meals with Youmu since they'd become friends. Normally, they'd be busy gabbing away between mouthfuls, enjoying the camaraderie that seemed to come so naturally, but not this time. The poor moon-rabbit was so distracted that the taste of the food barely registered. Youmu's flirting was more aggressive than usual – leaning against Reisen's shoulder while they ate, gazing into her eyes, insisting on feeding her morsels of grilled fish. This, in itself, had Reisen's abdominals twitching, but to make matters worse, Youmu's words when they'd met in town – _…we still have a conversation to finish…_ – kept bouncing around in the moon-rabbit's overheated mind, leaving her wondering when Youmu was going to make her move.

As soon as they finished lunch, Reisen got her answer.

"There's something I've been waiting to show you," Youmu said, jumping to her feet. As Reisen looked on, she began picking daisies from the nearest patch of wildflowers; when she had gathered a moderately-sized bouquet, she knelt in front of Reisen and began plaiting their stems together. "When I visited Yuuka, she happened to be making one of these for Wriggle Nightbug, so I asked her to show me how it's done. Imagine that: even scary Yuuka has a special person. The smile on her face…I knew right then I wanted to do the same thing for you."

After a couple minutes, Youmu had a long strip of daisies woven together.

"Okay, turn around." When Reisen did so, Youmu wrapped the strip around her head, right below where her long ears disappeared into her hair, and knotted the stems at the end of the strip together. Instinctively, the moon-rabbit reached for the floral crown, caressing the blossoms that now circled her head, and wishing she had a mirror.

"Let me look at you, Reisen-san."

When the moon-rabbit turned back around so they were kneeling face to face again, Youmu didn't even bother to stifle her gasp. She stared at Reisen, mouth open in wonder.

"I didn't think it was possible," she finally said.

Still overcome by Youmu's romantic gesture, Reisen could only raise her eyebrows in unspoken question.

"…that a crown of flowers would make Reisen-san even more beautiful than she already is."

Before Reisen had the chance to respond, Youmu grabbed the moon-rabbit's hand and clamped it to her chest. Her eyes radiated desire.

"Can you feel it?"

Silliest question of the day, by far. Youmu's heart was hammering so hard against Reisen's hand that she could practically hear it. And she was keenly aware of the warrior's small, ultra-firm breast under her palm. And of her lips, so invitingly close.

"This is the way my heart beats whenever you're near me," Youmu continued. "It's been this way since the day we met."

"But that was eight years ago." The moon-rabbit's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean…have you…all this time?"

"All this time," Youmu echoed. "I've been chasing you since that very first day. It took me seven years just to earn your friendship, and it's taken another year for us to get to this point. It's been a long, difficult road, but I never thought of giving up on you. Not once."

Reisen asked the question, even though she already knew the answer deep in her heart.

"Why someone like me? I'm nothing special – just a plain old moon-rabbit."

"Don't talk yourself down like that!" Youmu's voice quavered with barely suppressed emotion. "You _are_ special, at least to me. Why? Because I was drawn to you from that very first day, as if I was born to be by your side. Because no one else understands me the way you do. Because I can live for an entire week on a single one of your kind words. Because I love you, Reisen-san, more than my own life. That's why."

The passionate declaration sent Reisen's soul soaring. Youmu – brave, earnest, forthright, honorable, beautiful Youmu – had finally offered the moon-rabbit what she'd wanted for so long. In that holy moment, Reisen's hushed acceptance sounded very much like a prayer.

"I love you, too, Youmu. So much that it hurts."

Reisen's eyelids fluttered closed as she waited for the kiss that was surely to come, the one that would seal them together as a couple. But when nothing happened after several seconds, she opened her eyes to again find the sword-fighter staring uncertainly at her.

"Uh, Youmu…hello? What are you waiting for?"

"Oh, right. Was this where we were supposed to kiss?" The warrior rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I'm really sorry. It's just that, well, I've never confessed to anyone, so I don't know how things are supposed to work."

Reisen gaped back at her.

"Hang on. You've never…why didn't you tell me?"

"You never asked," Youmu said with a shrug. "But since it's come up, no, there's never been anyone else. You're the first, Reisen-san. My first, and my only."

_There ought to be a law against her being this cute, _Reisen thought. Unable to hold back any longer, she wound her arms around Youmu's shoulders and pulled her close.

When their lips met, Youmu stiffened for a moment, but then quickly melted into the embrace as if she'd been custom-built to fit against Reisen. She was hesitant at first, and a little clumsy, but her lips, soft and cool, eventually began to match Reisen's caress for caress, sending delightful shivers racing through the moon-rabbit's body. And when Reisen's tongue flicked across Youmu's lower lip, seeking entry, the warrior accepted it with a delighted "mmm." Once again, she wasn't sure of herself at the beginning, but soon her tongue was dueling with Reisen's so boldly that fireworks began to explode in the moon-rabbit's brain.

After several long seconds, Youmu broke off the kiss with a gasp.

"That was perfect," she groaned. "Just like I dreamed it would be. Oh, God, I don't want to stop."

With that, she clamped her mouth over Reisen's with the unschooled ferocity of a neophyte, thrusting her tongue so deeply that the moon-rabbit let out a startled grunt. This second kiss was about as tender and loving as a force bolt from a spell card. The sudden aggressiveness was too much for Reisen; after several seconds of struggle, she finally managed to pry her face away from Youmu.

"Whoa, easy there. You're supposed to be kissing me, not sucking out my soul."

Youmu let out a rueful chuckle.

"Sorry – I got a little too eager," she said.

"A _little_?"

"Okay, a lot. But I couldn't help myself. I've wanted this for so long."

"It's okay to be intense," Reisen said. "I mean, I don't mind if things get a little rough, but come on – at least give me a chance to kiss you back. Here, maybe if we change positions, it'll work better."

With a nod, Youmu allowed Reisen to guide her to the grass, so that the two were lying on their sides, face to face, wrapped in each other's arms.

"More," the half-human whispered as her lips found Reisen's again.

Their third attempt was near perfection, at least to Reisen. Certainly, it had never been this good for her with anyone else. What Youmu lacked in experience she made up for in passion, and now that she'd gotten over her initial hesitation, she took charge, slowly dismantling the moon-rabbit from the inside out with her kisses. Her hands, wandering lazily over Reisen's back and rear end, pausing every so often to caress her tail, only amplified the sensations. Reisen clung to her lover, intoxicated by their shared intimacy, allowing Youmu to control the pace completely – until the warrior's hand found one of her breasts.

It was only a gentle, exploratory squeeze, but it sent a flash of pure pleasure down Reisen's spine straight to her groin; with a reflexive moan, she grabbed Youmu's wrist. Misinterpreting the reaction, the half-human pulled her hand away and apologized.

"No, it's fine," Reisen gasped, grabbing Youmu's hand and putting it back in place. "It surprised me, that's all. You can touch them, but only through my shirt, okay?"

Youmu took those words to heart, exploring Reisen's generous chest with her hands with just as much urgency as she probed the moon-rabbit's mouth with her tongue. And Reisen's body responded, arousal welling up inside of her like a flooding river. Her breasts grew firm under Youmu's touch, until her bra seemed several sizes too tight, its cups too rough against her stiffening nipples. Returning Youmu's kisses forcefully, she arched her back, trying to push herself further into her lover's grasp.

Suddenly, to Reisen's surprise, Youmu's hand shifted away from her aching mounds, fluttered downward over her quivering stomach, then leaped to the hem of her skirt. As the questing fingers caressed their way up the tender skin of her inner thigh, Reisen instantly knew where they were headed, but wasn't sure how to react. Her body desperately wanted them to find their way into her saturated panties and give her the release she so badly needed. But even as Reisen draped her leg over Youmu's hip to allow her lover easier access, her mind screamed that this was neither the time nor the place for sex, no matter how much she wanted it. After a brief but savage internal struggle, Reisen's mind won. She reached down to pull Youmu's hand away, then rolled onto her back with a shudder.

"You don't want to?" Youmu appeared to be confused and hurt by the seeming rejection.

"It's not a question of wanting to," Reisen countered, trying to control her ragged breathing. "You're making me crazy. It's just that if I let you touch me there, I'd wind up wanting you to tear off my clothes and fu-…" She bit back on the word, and looked away in embarrassment. "…um, you know…go further."

Youmu's face was the very picture of frustration.

"I apologize for forcing things," she said, reaching up to stroke Reisen's cheek. "But I've spent eight years dreaming about making love to you, and I…well, it just felt right. Don't you feel the same? Don't you want me?"

"I want _all_ of you, Youmu…" Reisen paused to let that sink in. "…but not here, not now. We're right out in the open, and anyone could fly over us, like Marisa, or even that busybody Aya with her camera. I don't want your first time to wind up on the front page of _Bunbunmaru Shinbun._"

After a moment, Youmu rolled over and sat up.

"You're right, of course," she sighed. "After all, you're the pragmatic one in this relationship."

"Are you angry?"

"No," Youmu said, nibbling her lower lip. "Not angry. Just very disappointed. But it can't be helped."

Still twitching with suppressed arousal, Reisen knew exactly what she meant. Youmu wasn't the only one with a near-terminal case of blue ovaries.

"I'm really sorry, Youmu. We'll find a place where we can be alone, I promise. For now, let's just concentrate on meeting as often as possible. That's been hard for us. Work's slowing down for me, so I should be available more often. Can you get away tomorrow, even if it's only for an hour or so?"

Youmu thought for a moment.

"Probably. Yuyuko-sama is scheduled to lunch with Yukari-sama at mid-day. Whenever Yukari-sama visits, I make it a point to take a trip around the Netherworld border, just to check up on the phantom population. I don't really need to do it, but it's preferable to staying at the mansion."

Reisen shot her lover a puzzled look.

"I thought you got on pretty well with Yukari."

"I do. But…I mean…" Twin smudges of scarlet appeared on Youmu's cheekbones. "…Yuyuko-sama can get quite, uh, vocal, I'm afraid."

"Oh? _Oh._" Reisen had forgotten that Yuyuko and Yukari had _that_ kind of relationship. "Yeah, I can see how that would be an issue. Well, why don't you come over to Eientei instead, at least to start? I can take my lunch break when you get there."

When Youmu nodded her agreement, Reisen glanced up to check the sun's position. To her dismay, it was much lower in the sky than she expected.

"Ugh. I didn't plan on taking this much time off," she said, standing up to brush dried blades of grass from her uniform. "If I don't get back to Eientei soon, there'll be hell to pay."

Youmu also stood, winding her arms around Reisen's neck.

"Then let me say goodbye properly," the warrior said, pulling Reisen into one final kiss. Youmu's phantom half, which had been hovering overhead, drifted downward to nestle against the moon-rabbit's back while her human half pressed against Reisen from the front. Youmu had literally enveloped her – not just physically, but with love and acceptance that washed over her soul like a healing balm.

In the years since she left the Moon, Reisen had often wondered if she'd ever be truly happy again. As she savored Youmu's embrace, it suddenly dawned on her that the answer was right there in her arms.

After the kiss ended, the two girls held each other close for a long moment, before Youmu finally broke the silence.

"I love you, Reisen-san. I'll never get tired of telling you so."

"I love you, too, Youmu," the moon-rabbit replied. And she meant it, too, with every fiber of her being.

* * *

As Reisen had feared, Eirin was not at all happy with her late return from the Human Village. While the morning's sales figures pacified the strict Lunarian somewhat, she still gave the moon-rabbit a hard time, particularly over her untidy appearance.

"You're all dirty and covered with grass-stains, and your hair's a mess," she complained. "Why, Udonge? You didn't get into a danmaku battle in the village, did you? I'd hate to have to apologize to the humans on your behalf."

"I wasn't in a fight, so don't worry," Reisen countered. She hemmed and hawed, trying to come up with a plausible excuse. "Uh, I happened to be in those hills, you know, the ones south of the Buddhist temple, and I, um…well…"

Eirin eyed the moon-rabbit with suspicion.

"That's a strange place to be when you're supposed to be selling medicine."

"Er…um…you see, Youmu and I decided to eat lunch there after I got done selling," Reisen explained, trying to appear sincere. "And…I sort of…tripped and fell. Lots of rocks around there, you see. Yup. That's what happened."

At the mention of Youmu, Eirin's attitude changed abruptly. Her frown gave way to a "tripped and fell, my ass" smirk that had Reisen wishing for a hole to crawl into. Thankfully, the doctor didn't press for any details.

"Well, that would explain the daisies in your hair," was all she said; to Reisen's astonishment, there was no further scolding, and no mention of punishment. "Go clean yourself up and get changed, and be back at the clinic in half an hour to help with the rest of the afternoon appointments."

A short while later, Reisen was back in her cramped, four-tatami room at the far eastern end of Eientei's main building, seated at the tiny desk in the corner, wearing nothing but her bra and panties. That was as far as she'd made it into the process of changing clothes before her preoccupation with Youmu took over.

The events of their too-short tryst wouldn't stop replaying in Reisen's mind, like an endlessly recurring daydream. Every touch of Youmu's lips, every caress of her hands. How her body, lithe and toned but still soft where it counted, trembled in Reisen's arms. How Reisen, not one to show extremes of emotion, nevertheless came so close to tears of joy every time Youmu whispered her name.

But despite Reisen's sense of triumph over Youmu's confession, the premature end to their encounter had done little to feed the beast inside. And beast-Reisen wouldn't be denied; she rattled the bars of her cage, demanding liberation from the tension that had been mounting since mid-day.

The moon-rabbit tried to resist – masturbation embarrassed her, and when she did it at all, it was at night, when she was safely in her futon – but her yearning was too strong, and the memory of Youmu's hands on her breasts was too vivid. After a quick check to make sure no one was eavesdropping, she leaned back in her desk chair, closed her eyes, and allowed the fantasy to take flight.

_Youmu…Youmu…_ In her mind, Reisen chanted the name over and over, as if it was an incantation that would summon her warrior-lover directly from the Netherworld.

_I need your hands on me, Youmu. _Reisen's fingers, their touch feather-light, danced back and forth across her twitching stomach muscles before one hand skimmed upward to her breasts. With a flick to the front catch, her bra popped open; a few seconds later, it landed on the floor next to Reisen's already-discarded blouse and skirt. Her panties – still damp from earlier that afternoon, and getting more sodden by the minute – soon followed.

_You like my boobs, don't you? Go on, touch them, Youmu – they're yours now. _Reisen cupped the mounds firmly, letting out a short hiss of pleasure as her fingertips dug into the sensitive flesh. _Oh, God, I want your mouth on them._ Her fingers flicked, then pinched both nipples at once, and this time her gasp was much more audible.

_Please, Youmu…your fingers…down there… _Reisen's right hand worked its way downward, her fingers slipping over her smooth-shaven mound and into the slick, wet heat that awaited them. The moon-rabbit let out a soft moan as they slid through the sensitive folds.

With no time for a leisurely build-up, Reisen zeroed in on her throbbing pleasure nexus, her fingers circling it with exactly the right amount of pressure, flicking across it at the perfect angle. In the face of the no-holds-barred assault, her body quickly responded with the signs of impending orgasm: womb tingling, back and leg muscles tightening, hips thrusting. As she hurtled toward the precipice, she had to bite down on her lip to keep from letting out a second, much louder moan.

_Yes, just like that…don't stop, Youmu! Oh, no, I'm going to…_

Reisen's climax arrived like a summer thunderstorm roaring down from the mountains, buffeting her with violent, pyrotechnic spasms that drenched her fingers and forced her hips from the chair. Tearing the hand from her chest, she clamped it to her mouth to muffle her guttural moans of release.

As her stress drained away, Reisen melted back into the chair and stared vacantly at the ceiling, imagining herself lying in Youmu's arms.

_I love you, Youmu. I love you so much._

As she savored the afterglow, drowsiness began to take over, the full-body kind that so often follows an explosive orgasm. The moon-rabbit shook her head, trying to fight it off. It was too risky to stay sprawled in her desk chair, stark naked, even in the relative privacy of her room. Besides, Eirin was expecting her.

She'd managed to clean herself and the chair – quite a trick, considering her hips and legs didn't seem to be working properly – and was rummaging through her dresser when a voice behind her nearly sent her through the ceiling.

"Damn, girl, that was totally hot."

With a yelp, Reisen spun around to face the speaker, instinctively covering her breasts and mound. Her face flushed as red as a dying sun when she saw who it was.

Perched on the window-sill was a rabbit youkai in a pink nightdress who, in humanoid terms, looked to be an undersized eleven- or twelve-year-old, although she was in fact many centuries older. Her tangled, jaw-length black hair framed a pair of large, dark-red eyes, which were at that moment regarding Reisen with a mixture of amusement and mischief.

"Tewi!"

Upon hearing her name, the newcomer waved her hand in a jaunty salute.

"The one and only," she said, adding with a snicker, "Nice ass, by the way. I could break a bicuspid on that back shelf."

"Get the hell out of here!"

"Geez, don't be that way. It's not like I haven't seen the goods before. How many baths have we taken together?"

"Quit staring at me, pervert," Reisen snapped, scrambling to pull on clean underwear. "How long have you been out there?"

"I just happened to be passing by about the time the thumping started."

_So much for privacy, _Reisen thought, blushing even more deeply. She'd braced her feet on the desk during the final few seconds, but she didn't think the sound of it bumping against the wall had been quite that loud.

"The noises sounded strange," Tewi continued, "so naturally I had to investigate, and what did I find? My pal Reisen, scratching the patch as though her life depended on it. And then, something even better happened." Pressing her hands to her mouth, Tewi delivered a convincing imitation of the moon-rabbit's orgasmic moaning. "You looked so hot that I almost joined in."

Reisen may have been wishing for a hole to crawl into, but there was no way she was going to show it. She didn't want to give Tewi the satisfaction.

"In your dreams," she sniffed, buttoning up a clean blouse.

"Relax, Reisen – it was just a joke," Tewi assured the moon-rabbit. "I've been telling you for 35 years that you're not my type. Your boobs are way too big. Besides, even if I did like you _that_ way, I've already had my fun for the afternoon."

With a giggle, the earth-rabbit hopped down from the window-sill and took a couple of unsteady steps forward. Suddenly, the tell-tale odor of alcohol hit Reisen's nostrils.

"You've been at the booze again, haven't you? Better not let Master find out."

"Kotone and I may have had a teeny bit of sake," Tewi said, referring to the current favorite among her harem. "What can I say? We both had the day off, so we decided to celebrate."

Reisen didn't really care what Tewi had been up to, and found it annoying to deal with the earth-rabbit when she'd been day-drinking, but she was more than willing to feign interest if it diverted the earth-rabbit's attention from what she'd been up to a few minutes earlier.

"So how is Kotone?"

"Taking a nap at the moment, thanks to me. She was super horny today – really made me work hard. But at least she returns the favor, unlike some of the others." The earth-rabbit paused, smiling slyly at Reisen. "She does this thing with her tongue that…well, she kind of curls it, and wraps it around my…um, it's sort of complicated. You'd get it if I showed you, though."

"Never going to happen." Ignoring Tewi's attempt at getting a reaction, Reisen punctuated her statement by zipping up the side of her skirt. "You just got finished saying I'm not your type. Besides, as of today, I'm spoken for."

Tewi's jaw dropped.

"No way! You finally let Sword-Girl do you? It's about time. You've needed to get laid for, oh, about three years or so."

"Leave my sexual history out of this," Reisen huffed. "And for your information, Youmu did not 'do' me, as you so crassly put it. She confessed, I accepted, and that was it." That wasn't true, obviously, but Reisen wasn't about to admit that to the likes of Tewi.

"Well, _that's_ boring," the earth-rabbit said with an exaggerated pout. "But I guess you wouldn't have been polishing the pearl in the middle of the day if something _had_ happened. Still…" – her smile returned, more mischievous than before – "…you looked really erotic when you were getting off earlier. Good God, I can only imagine what you and Sword-Babe would look like when she's giving it to you. That perverted crow would pay a ton for those shots. Or maybe I could even get the kappa to lend me that thingy of hers – what did she call it? Oh, right – her video camera. I'd make a killing in the Human Village!"

"You wouldn't dare!" It was a silly thing to say, because Reisen knew from painful experience that Tewi certainly _would_ dare, but it was better than nothing. Tewi had an annoying habit of taking silence as assent.

"I guess that means we'll be seeing more of Sword-Hottie," Tewi mused, ignoring Reisen's death-glare. "That's awesome. She's even easier to wind up than you are. I'm going to have so much fun messing with you guys."

"Stop calling Youmu weird names! And so help me, Tewi, if you even try to pull anything with her, I'll…"

The earth-rabbit cut her off with laughter that had an edge of mockery to it.

"What're you going to do, run to Lady Eirin? Don't bother – she never believes your word over mine. I'll come up with some excuse, like always, and she'll buy it – always does. I've got her wrapped around my little finger. Hell, maybe she'll wind up punishing you instead."

Tewi was so intent on heckling Reisen that she didn't hear the door slide open behind her. She kept right on talking, oblivious to the dangerous new presence in the room.

After catching Reisen's eye, Eirin laid a finger to her lips and went back to staring holes in the back of Tewi's head. Relieved to see her, the moon-rabbit folded her arms and smiled sweetly.

"So you've got Master under control," she said, deciding to help Tewi tighten her own noose.

"You'd better believe it," the earth-rabbit bragged. "When I tell Lady Eirin to jump…" – she snapped her fingers – "she asks, 'How high?' The Princess, too. It's not like they have a choice. Eientei can't function without me. I run this place. You might say I _am_ Eientei. So I can basically do whatever the hell I wa-…"

There was a dull thud like a rock hitting a watermelon, and suddenly Tewi was flat on her face, groaning in agony. It happened so quickly that Reisen didn't even see Eirin's hand move.

"So, Udonge," the doctor said, as mildly as if she was talking about the weather, "did I overhear that you and Konpaku are officially an item?"

The bemused moon-rabbit glanced down at Tewi, then back at Eirin, then down at Tewi again, before finally answering, "Uh, yes, Master. I didn't get the chance to tell you yet. Sorry." She braced herself for the expected teasing, but to her surprise, Eirin merely smiled.

"The Princess will be quite pleased to hear the news. She's been expecting it, in fact. Make sure you tell her in person, okay? She cares very much about you, even though it doesn't seem that way sometimes."

"I will," Reisen promised. "But what about you, Master? Are you okay with it?"

Eirin's smile never wavered.

"Are you happy, Udonge?"

Reisen glanced at the bedraggled remnants of the crown of daisies, now carefully arranged on her dresser, and remembered the love that had shone in Youmu's eyes when she confessed.

"For the first time in 35 years," she said without hesitation.

"Then I'm happy, too," Eirin replied.

"Um, I realize you two are having a moment," came a voice from the floor, "but could whoever has their foot on my head please remove it? I'm getting splinters in my ears."

With a scowl, Eirin replied, "Oh, be quiet. You're lucky you're not dealing with a fractured skull." She grabbed Tewi by the collar and hauled her to her feet. "And don't even think about making trouble for Udonge and Konpaku, especially here at Eientei, or else. Now come along. It's punishment time."

As Eirin dragged Tewi toward the door, the earth-rabbit shot Reisen a wicked grin that sent cold chills up and down the moon-rabbit's spine. Eirin may have issued a warning, but Tewi was the sort of person who would interpret it as a challenge instead. And Reisen could already see that she had, simply from the terrifying gleam in her crimson eyes.

A look that threw down the gauntlet: _This isn't over._

* * *

**A/N:**

− Once again, my thanks to my editor, Gray Voice, for smoothing the rough edges off of my prose.

− _Ichi-nichi sen-shuu_ ("one day, a thousand autumns") is a common Japanese proverb. The nearest English equivalent that I can come up with is "a watched pot never boils."

− I borrowed the concept of Reisen selling medicine in the Human Village on Mondays from the demo of the Touhou visual novel _Eastern Starlight Romance._

* * *

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	3. Chapter 3

_**DISCLAIMERS: **_I don't own any of the Touhou characters appearing herein. They're the intellectual property of ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. This story constitutes "fair use" of these characters as provided for under applicable U.S. and international copyright laws.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_Reisen lay face down, trembling and covered with sweat, fingers clutching so firmly at the futon's bottom sheet that it threatened to rip to shreds. She'd long since lost control of her hips, which rocked back and forth all on their own, their rhythm matching that of the hand stroking her molten core from behind. _

_She was close to climax, so close that she could sense the avalanche about to let loose, but the fingers dancing through her slick, swollen petals never seemed to hit the exact spot long enough to trigger it. For what seemed like hours, in every position and from every angle, the unforgiving digits had done nothing but torment her, keeping her dancing on the knife-edge._

_As her sexual destruction loomed, Reisen's fevered mind whirled with a tempest of conflicting emotions. Agony and ecstasy. Love and hate. Craving release, yet reluctant for it all to end._

"_Oh, God, Youmu…I can't take it anymore…Please let me come, I'm begging you." Reisen's pleas were more like a series of agonized groans. The response, cooed gently into her ear, only increased her desperation._

"_You know you love it when I tease you like this."_

_Youmu sounded quite proud of her absolute control over the moon-rabbit's body. But if she seemed cocky, Reisen __didn't at all resent her__ for it. __Knowing__ that her warrior-lover was so firmly in charge, dominating her without compromise, wound the tension in her muscles even tighter, drove the ache in her belly even deeper._

"_No more," she said, her hips twitching in protest. "Please, you're killing me."_

_In response, Youmu shifted so her breasts crushed against Reisen's lower back. She nibbled at the skin over the moon-rabbit's shoulder blade, chucking at the answering shudder._

"_Well, now, I can't have you dying quite yet," the sword-master said, her hand continuing its torturous exploration of the dripping flesh between Reisen's thighs. "If you died, you wouldn't be able to feel…this." She nibbled a second time, then sucked hard. When Reisen hissed at the sudden pleasure-pain, Youmu licked at the rapidly reddening kiss mark to soothe it. "There – that's a reminder of who you belong to. Tell me, Reisen-san, who's the only one who's allowed to touch you like this?"_

"_Y-youmu…oh, God!"_

"_That's right," the sword-fighter said. "Reisen-san is mine, and no one else's. No one else gets to make her come. And you _do_ want to come, don't you?"_

_Reisen's answer was close to a wail._

"_Yes, Youmu, please!"_

_With that, Youmu finally relented, her fingers searching out Reisen's aching nub. The moment they closed around it, the moon-rabbit's insides imploded, and everything went dark._

* * *

When Reisen's eyelids snapped open, she found herself gasping for breath, her body convulsing with the unmistakable signs of orgasm. Biting her lip to keep from moaning, she rode it out, then collapsed to the sheet, her body suddenly boneless.

This definitely wasn't the first time Reisen had awakened in mid-release after dreaming about Youmu. In the two weeks since they'd become lovers, Youmu had begun to visit Reisen in her dreams on an almost nightly basis, drowning her in the prolonged, passionate lovemaking they'd yet to experience in waking life.

Yet as intense as these nocturnal liaisons were, they were nonetheless little better than frustrating counterfeits of reality. Reisen still awakened alone, instead of where she longed to be: lying next to Youmu, secure in her lover's arms.

Even so, Reisen wasn't one to shrug off a satisfying climax. Although it hadn't been her most intense ever, Youmu had been the inspiration, and that made it an experience to be savored. And Reisen would have snuggled back into her futon to do exactly that, but for the sticky, clammy sensation under her belly, mound, and thighs.

_Ugh! Everything's soaked again. Third time this week._

Reisen went through the usual clean-up routine, draping the futon and bed sheets over the windowsills to air out. She'd sneak the sheets into the laundry once they were dry – they'd certainly blend in, simply because of the sheer volume of soiled bed linens Eientei residents generated.

Her panties were a different matter. They were not only wringing wet, but they stank of sex, as well, and the turquoise and white horizontal stripes clearly identified them as hers. To send them off with the sheets would raise too many questions, so she'd hand-wash them herself, just to be on the safe side.

She pulled off the sodden undergarment and, after deciding to tend to it later, dropped it onto the hamper lid so she wouldn't forget it, and after a long, languid stretch, allowed her mind to shift to more important matters. It was Sunday, and she and Youmu had arranged to spend the entire day together.

Reisen had been looking forward to this visit in particular, because Yuyuko planned to leave the Netherworld for part of the day, and this time, she didn't intend to take Youmu with her. It was the pair's first chance at true privacy since they'd become lovers, and they fully intended to make the most of it.

The moon-rabbit blushed when she remembered the first thing Youmu had promised to do to her once they were behind closed doors. If the warrior kept her word, Reisen's fancy underwear – the white lace set, intended for Youmu's eyes only, that she'd worn to the Gensoukyou Council meeting – wouldn't survive the day. Not that Reisen minded; she'd only expected to wear it once, anyway.

Under the circumstances, it would never do for her to meet Youmu smelling as if she'd just had a threesome with the Aki sisters. After grabbing her bathing yukata, she headed for the bathroom to wash up.

* * *

When Reisen returned to her room fifteen minutes later, something didn't seem right. Although nothing appeared to have been disturbed at first glance, she nonetheless sensed as if someone had been in her room while she'd been gone. The air smelled different somehow.

Alarm bells ringing in her brain, she took a second, closer look, but again nothing seemed out of the ordinary until her eyes came to rest on the hamper lid.

Which was bare.

All that remained of the panties she'd left on it was a musky slick of her own nectar.

She didn't need to think twice; there was only one possible culprit.

Reisen's anger at Tewi's presumed violation of her privacy quickly gave way to a shudder of apprehension as she considered how the earth-rabbit might play this most recent hand. Eientei's Queen of Mischief been quiet lately – _too_ quiet – which meant she was overdue to strike.

Simply to have Reisen's underwear in her possession gave Tewi endless options, all of which were equally frightening. Reisen could see it now: her soiled panties nailed to the front gate of the compound, with a carrot tied to the crotch. Or maybe a picture of the undergarment, with the words "Reisen U. I. – Serial Masturbator?" superimposed, plastered across the front page of the crow tengu's tabloid newspaper.

Then another, even more disturbing thought occurred to Reisen: Tewi might use the panties to pull a prank on Youmu.

After thinking it through, Reisen decided not to panic. Tewi's theft was clearly a crime of opportunity, so it was bound to take her time to think of a plan to use the panties in a prank. Since Reisen and Youmu would be in the Netherworld for most of the day, they'd be safe from whatever humiliating surprise Tewi might come up with, at least for the moment.

As she pulled on a clean summer uniform, Reisen forced herself to put Tewi's antics out of her mind. She and Youmu had agreed to meet at 9:00 at their usual trysting place: the same hollow where they'd declared their love for each other. Since it was already a few minutes to nine, Youmu was probably already waiting for her.

After one final pass with the hair brush, she went to the dresser to retrieve Youmu's old collar ribbon, intending to use it to tie her hair into a ponytail, as she'd begun doing recently. That's when she made her second upsetting discovery of the morning.

The ribbon was missing, too.

Suddenly, Reisen felt physically ill. That collar ribbon was more than a simple piece of satin; it had become a holy symbol of her and Youmu's relationship, with a significance to that of a ring or necklace. She distinctly remembered placing it on the top of her dresser before she left for the bathroom. Tewi must have taken it along with the panties.

Reisen bit back on her rage, not wanting Tewi to ruin her day with Youmu before it started. When she returned to Eientei that evening, she'd track that pest of an earth-rabbit down and retrieve her stolen ribbon and underwear.

_Even if I have to beat them out of her,_ Reisen thought as she hurried down the hallway, out the door, and into the air.

* * *

The moment Reisen cleared the tree-line, the shock wave from a massive explosion slammed into her, nearly knocking her into a tailspin.

Off in the distance, in the general direction of the Myouren Temple, a cluster of bright-red energy globes circled lazily in the sky before simultaneously rocketing earthward. There was a series of brilliant white flashes, followed a split second later by a matching barrage of detonations. This time, Reisen escaped the blast effect by dropping down into the trees.

After the wall of sound swept overhead, she popped back up to hover over the forest canopy, trying to process what had just happened. Clearly, there was a danmaku duel in progress, and from the strength of the first explosion, Reisen guessed that at least one of the combatants was quite powerful. She racked her brain, trying to remember who used energy globes in that particular color and pattern. It didn't take long for the realization to hit.

The pyrotechnic display was unique to one of Youmu's higher-level spell cards.

As Reisen streaked westward, trying to rein in her racing mind, there was a third explosion, followed in quick succession by a fourth, the effects of which combined to make it difficult for her to stay airborne. But by the time she reached the hills south of the Temple, everything had fallen silent. The confrontation appeared to have ended almost as soon as it had begun; the only remaining evidence of the battle was the remnant of a column of smoke.

When Reisen got a closer look at the vale where she was supposed to meet Youmu, her heart sank. The entire area was little more than a blackened scar on the green landscape. The familiar clumps of wildflowers were gone without a trace; in fact, she couldn't see any color other than gray from the air, save for a small splotch of pink on the vale's eastern edge. The place appeared to be deserted; whoever had been fighting was no doubt long gone.

As Reisen flew closer to investigate, the pink splotch shocked her by moving. Suddenly, a head popped up. Reisen would have recognized those floppy rabbit ears from a kilometer away.

She landed next to Tewi, who was kneeling on the charred turf, wheezing and coughing. Blood trickled from cuts on the battered earth-rabbit's lower lip and chin, dripping down her face and onto the front of her nightdress. She was completely covered in char and dust, as if she'd been dragged through ashes. Reisen could see a number of small scrapes and cuts through holes in her dress.

Squatting next to the bedraggled creature, Reisen demanded, "Are you all right?"

The dazed Tewi goggled back at her for a moment, as if trying to place her face. Then her eyes widened in horror.

"Shit! It's Reisen!" The earth-rabbit struggled to stand, but she only got half-way to her feet before her legs gave out. With a thud, she landed back on her knees, clutching at her right side.

Reisen repeated her question.

"Tewi, are you okay?"

"Ugh," came the answer. "Dizzy."

Her training as a physician's assistant kicking in, Reisen began performing triage, looking into Tewi's eyes for signs of concussion, and examining her cuts and bruises more closely.

"You seemed a bit disoriented when I first got here," she said. "Did you hit your head, get knocked out, anything like that?"

"Nah, no head shots," Tewi said. "Just a little shaken up."

"Any pain anywhere? Other than the cuts and scrapes, I mean."

Tewi rubbed her right side again.

"It hurts to breathe. I'm pretty sure one of my ribs is busted. Other than that, nothing major. Man, she really got me good with that last one."

"When I was over the forest, I thought I saw one of Youmu's spell cards," Reisen said. "Is that who you mean by 'she'?"

Tewi's eyes shifted back and forth, seeming to glance everywhere but at her companion.

"Yeah, your girlfriend was here," she said, wiping the blood from her chin with her forearm. "And yeah, she and I had a…well, call it a 'chat.' But, um, I'd rather not go into the details, if you don't mind."

"I _do_ mind," Reisen countered. The earth-rabbit's evasive answer immediately put her on guard. "You were fighting with Youmu just now, weren't you? Why? Where is she? Did she leave?"

Still avoiding Reisen's gaze, Tewi merely shrugged.

"Youmu isn't the type to go around randomly attacking people," Reisen went on. "I'll bet you provoked her. Spill it: what idiotic stunt did you pull this time?" Tewi remained tight-lipped, so Reisen leaned on her a bit harder. "You'd better tell me the truth, you little jerk. Don't make me use Lunatic Red Eyes to interrogate you."

At the mention of Reisen's most powerful ability, Tewi's head snapped up. She stared back at the moon-rabbit fearfully.

"It was just a little joke," she blurted out. "I never expected her to take me seriously. She even started crying! Geez, Reisen, your girlfriend has no sense of humor at all."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Reisen said, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "You made Youmu cry? Youmu _never_ cries." She leaned closer to Tewi, her tone dripping with menace. "What did you do to her?"

The earth-rabbit hemmed and hawed for a few seconds, nibbling uncertainly on her injured lip, before her shoulders sagged in surrender.

"I might as well come clean – you'll find out, anyway," she said, her tone now resigned. "Since you were running late for your date, I thought I'd to come out here ahead of you and screw with Konpaku's head for a bit, just for giggles. I figured you guys were probably going to bash gash later on, so I told her that I already…how to say it? Gave you an internal massage, so to speak. You know, to warm you up for her."

Reisen stared blankly at her colleague.

"What the…how do you come up with this stuff? God, Tewi, talk about overreaching. Even Youmu's not gullible enough to go for a story like that."

Tewi shifted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment.

"Well, see, here's the thing. She _didn't_ believe me at first, until I showed her, uh, those."

The earth-rabbit pointed toward to a small bush at the far edge of the vale, just outside the charred area. Nestled among the branches, partially screened by leaves, was a flash of turquoise and white. Her stomach turning leaden, Reisen jumped to her feet and hurried to retrieve the object, only to find her worst fears were justified.

It was her missing panties. And they were still damp.

"So, um, yeah," Tewi continued, clearly trying to fill the oppressive silence. "I swiped those while you were in the bathroom earlier. They were still wet from you squirting in them, so I thought, 'Perfect. I'll show these to Konpaku and say they're my souvenir for flicking Reisen's bean.' Then I saw that dumb old ribbon you're always carrying around, and thought, 'Even better. I'll tell her Reisen decided to go out with me instead, because she likes the way I get her off, and that she told me to give the ribbon back.' I figured what the hell, I'd let Konpaku spiral for a bit, then tell her I was punking her. But as soon as I handed her that ribbon, she went all Yuuka on me. So…yeah. Not much luck with that game plan."

Reisen had heard enough. Hurling the panties to the ground, she descended on Tewi like an avenging angel, hands clawing at the earth-rabbit's bloodstained dress, hauling her off the ground and up onto her tiptoes, until they were nose to nose. Tears of rage stung at her eyes.

"You conniving little bitch! You live to make me miserable, don't you?"

With a howl of protest, Tewi struggled to get free.

"Ow! Hey! Watch where you're grabbing, Reisen! Let me go, dammit!"

"Every good thing that happens to me, every time I'm happy for more than two seconds, you're right there to knock me down," Reisen snarled, ignoring the earth-rabbit's whining. "Well, congratulations, Tewi, you've really done me over this time. Youmu thinks I cheated on her, then dumped her. You couldn't have picked a better way to ruin my life, you miserable piece of shit! I should wring your slimy little neck."

She shook Tewi a few times for emphasis, prompting an agonized whimper.

"Don't! My rib…ouch! You're hurting me, Reisen!"

"I don't care if you bleed out, you little creep! After what you've done, you deserve to feel pain. I don't care about myself, but you hurt Youmu. You made her cry. I will _never_ forgive you for that! _Never_, do you understand me?"

"Reisen, stop it! I'm really sorry!"

"Not good enough," Reisen shot back. "You think a simple 'sorry' is going to fix this? Idiot! I hate you, Tewi! _I hate you!_"

To Reisen's surprise, Tewi went limp, as if the exclamation was a knock-out blow.

"Seriously? You…hate me?"

Tewi's words, and the shocked expression on her face, poured cold water over Reisen's wrath, bringing her to her senses. She released the earth-rabbit, who promptly crumpled to the ground, landing on her hands and knees.

"I'm really sorry, Reisen," Tewi repeated, hanging her head. "I only wanted to tease Konpaku a little, but things got out of hand. It was a dumb idea from the start. I'll never do it again, I promise."

Her words did little to soothe Reisen's anger.

"It's too late for apologies," the moon-rabbit said, her tone icy cold. "And anyway, I don't have time for this right now. I need to find Youmu and try to explain things, if she'll even listen to me. At this point, I'll be lucky if she doesn't turn me into a grease spot on sight. Which way did she go?"

"Toward Youkai Mountain," Tewi replied, so softly that Reisen could barely hear her. "She said something about going home."

"I'm going after her," Reisen said. "Go to back to Eientei and get yourself patched up. Take my panties with you so the crow tengu doesn't find them. Throw them in the incinerator." She paused, glaring down at the earth-rabbit at her feet. "It's up to you if you tell Master everything that happened right away, or if you wait until I get back. Either way, you'd better not lie to her, or I'll finish the job Youmu started."

The disconsolate Tewi gazed back up at Reisen, her face a giant smudge of grime and dried blood.

"So much for our friendship," the earth-rabbit said. "So you hate me now, huh?"

The statement brought Reisen up short. Had she gone too far? "Hate" was such a strong word. Over their long association, she'd been furious with Tewi on countless occasions, sometimes to the point of violence, but she'd never expressed her anger in such incendiary terms before.

Then again, none of Tewi's pranks had ever wounded her this deeply.

"It's kind of ironic that you consider us friends," the moon-rabbit finally said with a more than a trace of bitterness. "A true friend would never do what you just did. As for whether I actually 'hate' you, that all depends on what happens when I talk to Youmu. If I were you, I'd start praying that things go well. Because if they don't…"

Without waiting for a response, she turned her back on Tewi and flew off.

* * *

It proved to be no easy task for Reisen to locate the gap in the Great Barrier that led to the Netherworld. Like most such openings, this one was cleverly concealed; she had to approach it from the correct angle, or she'd never find it.

Although Reisen had never been to the Netherworld before, the instructions for finding the entrance had become common knowledge throughout Gensoukyou during the Perfect Cherry Blossom Incident. From the Hakurei Shrine gate, she needed to fly directly toward the summit of Youkai Mountain; somewhere between the bell tower of the Scarlet Devil Mansion and the mountainside, the portal would become visible.

It seemed a simple enough process, but as is so often the case with travel directions, there was a catch: the Mountain didn't have a single, well-defined peak. If Reisen took a fix on the wrong point, she'd miss the entrance.

Which is exactly what happened on her first two tries.

Fortunately, the moon-rabbit got it right the third time, which saved her the trouble of having to find someone to escort her. Shortly after she passed over Remilia's bell tower, a large, circular vortex yawned overhead, shimmering in the late-morning sun. Long lines of cloud-like phantoms, each one on its journey to the afterlife, streamed toward its inky-black center.

Joining one of the lines of phantoms, Reisen plunged through the opening and into a mist-shrouded tunnel. After a few seconds of flying blind, the fog cleared, and she found herself over a wide, flat expanse of close-cropped, emerald-colored grass, flanked on either side by huge cliffs of solid rock that extended thousands of feet overhead. Reisen landed in the middle of the meadow, pausing to take in her surroundings.

Directly opposite the passage she'd just exited, running from one cliff face to the other, was a gigantic stone wall at least 100 meters across and 30 meters high. At its center was a double-leaved wooden gate, reinforced by bands of iron that looked to be as wide as Reisen herself: the Great Gate of the Netherworld.

Shrouded under a mantle of perpetual twilight, everything – the Gate, the grassy field, and even the cliffs – seemed old, but in the sense of timelessness rather than of decay. But despite the quaint beauty of the scene before her, Reisen found the atmosphere vaguely unsettling. On further consideration, she supposed it was natural for a living creature to feel troubled when visiting the abode of the dead.

A group of about a dozen phantoms hovered in front of the gate. Much larger than those streaming out of the portal and up over the wall, they looked almost identical to Youmu's phantom half. The moon-rabbit guessed that they were sentries.

Reisen remembered Marisa saying that one could simply fly over the Netherworld Gate, but instinct told her that if she did so, it would be taken as a hostile act. The wisest course of action, she decided, would be to present herself to the guard detail.

Apparently, the phantoms had the same idea, because she barely made it two steps toward the Gate before they flew swiftly out to intercept her, forming a tight ring around her in an obvious attempt to keep her from moving any closer to the wall. Unable to advance any further, Reisen came to a stop, and with a respectful bow, addressed them politely.

"Please excuse my intrusion. I am Reisen Udongein Inaba, and I have traveled here from Gensoukyou to visit my close friend, Konpaku Youmu-san. If one of you would be so kind as to inform Konpaku-san that Reisen has arrived, I would be most grateful."

Reisen wasn't sure if they'd understood her, but after a moment, one of the phantoms broke away from the group and streaked over the wall. Evidently, it had gone to report her arrival. She didn't bother trying to strike up a conversation with any of the others – even if they understood human language, they couldn't exactly speak it. Instead, she simply waited in silence, trying to keep her anxiety from cracking the surface.

Would Youmu be willing to listen to Reisen's explanation? The moon-rabbit honestly had no idea. Although Youmu had a reputation for being reasonable, Reisen was pretty sure she'd be in no mood for discussion. Even so, the moon-rabbit chose to remain optimistic. There was no way that Youmu would stay angry over a prank gone awry. Once the two cleared up this misunderstanding, they'd share a good laugh over it.

Or so Reisen devoutly hoped.

Finally, after several agonizing minutes of delay, the familiar silver-haired, green-clad figure flew over the wall. When she caught sight of Youmu, the moon-rabbit's heart leaped in her chest. She wanted to run to meet her beloved, to call out her name in greeting the way she always did whenever they met, but something in her gut told her that this time, it was wiser to not speak until spoken to.

Youmu landed about ten meters away from Reisen. With a flick of her wrist, she dismissed the guards, who retreated to their post in front of the Gate. Only Youmu's phantom half stayed behind, hovering over her left shoulder.

For a long moment, Reisen searched Youmu's face for clues to her state of mind, but ultimately came up empty. The warrior's expression was just as unreadable as it had been eight years earlier, when the two had fought during the disastrous late stages of the Imperishable Night Incident. There was no trace of the immeasurable warmth Youmu usually radiated whenever the two were together. Rather, the sword-master regarded Reisen with the same cool detachment she'd display to a random intruder who happened to stumble through the gap in the Barrier by accident.

"This is the Netherworld, where the dead await reincarnation," the sword-fighter said, her tone flat and impersonal. "Living beings have no business here. I strongly suggest that you leave this place at once."

"I will _not_ leave," Reisen said, shaking off the unexpectedly rude greeting. "We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about. I repeat, you have no reason to be here. Now move along, or I will have no choice but to escort you through the Barrier personally." As if to reinforce the subtle threat, Youmu laid her hand on the hilt of the short sword at her waist.

"Don't be like this, Youmu. At least let me explain…"

Anger flickered across the sword-fighter's face.

"I'm not interested in your excuses, Inaba-san."

_I was right – she's steaming mad, _Reisen thought. _She won't even call me by my first name. Damn that Tewi! _

Deciding that a direct approach was best, she said out loud, "Everything Tewi told you was a lie. I love you, Youmu. There's no way I'd ever cheat on you, and I'd rather die than break up with you."

Her mask of icy composure shattering, Youmu's eyes blazed with a fury as white-hot as Marisa's lasers.

"Oh really? Your panties were wet, Inaba-san, and not with water, either. Your earth-rabbit friend was really quick to take credit for that. But that's beside the point. What really broke my heart was this." She pulled the collar ribbon Tewi had stolen out of her vest pocket and held it aloft. "You've told me over and over how precious this ribbon is, and how you never let it out of your sight. So when your rabbit sex-friend says she was told to give it back, what am I supposed to think?"

Reisen had been so intent on getting Youmu to hear her out that she hadn't given any thought to exactly how to make her case. And the sight of the ribbon in Youmu's hand had knocked her so far off balance that she was having trouble framing a coherent reply to the sword-fighter's question.

"What's the matter? Trying to get your story straight? Save your breath. You've already said all you need to say, anyway, by giving me this." Youmu nodded toward the ribbon in her hand. "I trusted you, Reisen-san, so much that I didn't hold anything back. I opened myself to you like I never have with anyone else, even Yuyuko-sama and my Uncle Youki. And what did I get? A so-called 'girlfriend' who cheated on me on the very morning I planned to give her my virginity, and then cast me aside for good measure. Well, I may have had my heart ripped out, but at least I didn't waste my chastity on the likes of you."

The wild accusations hit Reisen like body blows.

"I did _not_ have sex with Tewi," she said, stamping her foot in frustration. "And she stole the ribbon while I was in the bathroom. Good God, Youmu, you're being totally unreasonable about this. Why won't you listen to me? This is all a stupid mistake!"

"You're the one who made the mistake," Youmu retorted, her voice as cold as death. "You never should have come here. Now go away. I don't ever want to see you again."

The harsh rejection might as well have been a knife to Reisen's chest, but she held firm.

"You can't mean that," she said, her voice raw with frustration. "And I won't leave you, not until you let me explain what happened. Please, Youmu, I'm begging you!"

"I'm sorry. Since you refuse to leave, you leave me no choice but to treat you like any other trespasser." Youmu flung the ribbon to the ground, and with a sudden clash of steel, drew her long sword. Even in the twilight, its blade gleamed ominously. "Prepare to fight, Inaba-san. Four spell cards."

Reisen's jaw dropped.

"You can't be serious! Just yesterday you were telling me you'd always stay by my side, no matter what. You swore that nothing could ever stop you from loving me. Now you're calling me 'Inaba' and drawing your sword? I can't believe this! This is crazy!"

"That was then, this is now," Youmu replied, her jaw implacably set. "If you have any honor at all, fight me. Otherwise, quit wasting my time."

_So it's come to this,_ Reisen thought, her throat tightening with despair.

She was left hanging on the horns of a dilemma: fight the girl she loved, or turn her back on that love and run away. But as painful as the choice was, she had already made it, in a sense, by coming this far.

Dead silence fell as Reisen took a moment to consider her tactical options. Most of her spell card attacks were psychological. Youmu was weak to those, but when they were used on humans, they sometimes caused permanent brain damage, and Reisen didn't want to expose Youmu to that kind of risk. In the end, she decided that since the sword-fighter would almost certainly lead off with a powerful frontal assault, the most effective plan would be to immobilize her with poison gas before she could get within sword distance, and then take her out with magic bullets. After double-checking the collar points of her blouse for the gas antidote caplets – one each for her and her opponent – Reisen dislodged one and bit into it.

"Two spell cards," she said.

Youmu sank back into a ready stance, then yelled, "Human Sign, 'Slash of Present World'!"

She charged toward Reisen, closing several steps worth of the distance between them before her sword rose, then fell. With a sharp crack, an iridescent, royal-blue force bolt shot from the blade and streaked toward Reisen, who barely had time to react.

After spinning to her right, narrowly escaping disaster, the moon-rabbit called out, "Poison Smokescreen, 'Gas-Woven Orb,'" and thrust a palm toward the ground Youmu's feet. A cloud of luminous green vapor rose spontaneously from the turf, enveloping Youmu, who stopped dead in her tracks, hacking and coughing; her phantom half retreated several meters toward the Gate to avoid the noxious fumes.

With Youmu momentarily incapacitated, this was Reisen's chance to end the duel. She raised her right hand, pointing her index finger at the half-human, ready to unleash a fusillade of magic bullets. But at the crucial moment, she couldn't bring herself to fire.

_I'm sorry, Youmu, _she thought, lowering her arm. _I won't run, but I won't fight you, either. Maybe this will get through to you._

Meanwhile, Youmu had shaken off enough of the effects of the gas to resume her attack. With a great cry, she leaped from the midst of the green cloud, her sword pointing skyward. To Reisen, she seemed to be floating in mid-air, like a tiny but ferocious eagle, armed with a single razor-sharp claw, about to descend for the kill.

"Hell Realm Sword, '200 Yojana in 1 Slash!'"

As Youmu's feet touched the ground, she unleashed a powerful downward stroke. A torrent of energy globes, each glowing bright scarlet, poured from her blade – the same globes Reisen had seen when she was flying over the Bamboo Forest earlier that morning.

As the magic missiles converged on her, Reisen smiled tenderly at Youmu, then bowed her head and closed her eyes, waiting for the impact.

A salvo of orbs hit her squarely in the stomach, sending her tumbling across the grass like a rock skimming the surface of Misty Lake. She had time enough for one final coherent thought before she slammed into the base of the nearest cliff.

_I forgive you, Youmu, no matter what._

* * *

**A/N:**

− Once again, my gratitude goes to Gray Voice for taking time away from his own projects to edit this chapter.

− I'm pretty much worthless when it comes to actually playing the Touhou games, so I don't have a lot of direct experience with the spell cards. For that reason, I may have taken some liberties with them in the narrative, particularly Reisen's Poison Smokescreen, "Gas-Woven Orb." My apologies to any purists in the audience for playing fast and loose with this part of canon.

* * *

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	4. Chapter 4

_**DISCLAIMERS: **_I don't own any of the Touhou characters appearing herein. They're the intellectual property of ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. This story constitutes "fair use" of these characters as provided for under applicable U.S. and international copyright laws.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

When Reisen regained consciousness, all she saw was white. A pure, colorless expanse of…nothing.

Was she dead? Probably not, because this didn't look anything like Higan's gardens. A dream, then? Perhaps. If so, it was definitely one of the less remarkable dreams she'd ever experienced. The emptiness didn't provoke any emotions, not even boredom. She simply stared into the void, contemplating it idly, but not really trying to make sense of it.

Gradually, Reisen became aware of input from her other four senses. Regular electronic beeps coming somewhere from her left. The acrid smell of antiseptic. Dull discomfort in her left shoulder and hip. A scratchy hospital gown against her otherwise naked body. The sting of bile in the back of her throat, evidence that she'd vomited, although she couldn't remember doing so.

When the stimuli finally converged in her brain, she realized she was neither dead nor dreaming, but wide awake, lying in a room at Eientei Clinic, staring at the ceiling.

How had she wound up in a hospital bed? Reisen closed her eyes, trying to reconstruct her memory. At first, the mental images did nothing but crumble like autumn leaves when she tried to grasp them. It was frustrating. She'd been fighting…someone? A danmaku battle, certainly, but against whom? And where was Youmu?

The instant the warrior's smiling face popped into Reisen's thoughts, the events of that morning, from the time she'd awakened until the catastrophe in front of the Great Gate of the Netherworld, came rushing back.

"Youmu needs the antidote," she informed the ceiling.

In indirect response, a familiar voice began issuing orders from somewhere beyond the foot of her bed.

"Reisen's awake. You – alert the Princess. Tell her it'll be a little while before she can visit. You – see if you can find carrot juice in the pantry. If not, get whichever rabbit's on kitchen duty to prepare a batch."

Two different, unidentifiable voices – rabbit-youkai nurses, Reisen assumed – answered in unison, "Yes, ma'am." The door to the room slid shut, after which two sets of footsteps receded quickly down the hallway.

"Master," Reisen said, addressing the first speaker, "where's Youmu? Is she okay?"

Eirin moved into Reisen's field of vision, coming to a stop by her bedside, clipboard and pen in hand. She wore her usual soothing smile, the one she used on all her patients.

"Welcome back, Udonge," she said, ignoring the moon-rabbit's questions. "How do you feel?"

Reisen – who understood the enigmatic physician better than anyone besides Kaguya and the Watatsuki sisters – caught the barest hint of a chill in Eirin's words. Despite the doctor's seemingly upbeat bedside manner, she wasn't at all happy to see Reisen, at least not as a patient.

"I'm really sorry, Master," the moon-rabbit said. "I've caused you so much trouble."

Still smiling, the doctor shook her head.

"Just relax. We'll talk about what happened in a little while."

Reisen swallowed hard. This was one conversation she was _not_ looking forward to.

"Master, I used my poison gas spell card on Youmu," she said, changing the subject to the uppermost concern in her mind. "She needs to take the antidote, or it'll drain her energy."

"Konpaku is perfectly fine," Eirin replied. "I treated her when she brought you here."

"She carried me all the way to Eientei? By herself?"

"She did."

"Is she still here? I need to go to her." Reisen tried to sit up, but a sudden simultaneous attack of vertigo and nausea put an end to the effort. With a groan, she wilted back onto the mattress.

Eirin pulled the blanket back up over Reisen's chest, then gently scolded, "You're not going anywhere for a while, Udonge. Now answer my question, please. How do you feel?"

After a moment's thought, Reisen replied, "I pretty much ache all over, especially on my left side."

"Ah, that's probably the side that absorbed the impact," Eirin said, scribbling notes on the paper on her clipboard. "According to Konpaku, you had a rather abrupt meeting with solid rock. But moon-rabbits are pretty tough, for all that. That high-velocity impact would have killed a human, but beyond a few cuts and scrapes and some nasty bruises, your only major injury was a concussion. How's your memory?"

"Fuzzy," Reisen replied. "I can remember everything that happened before impact, but between then and when I woke up just now, I've got nothing."

"That's to be expected with a moderate concussion. Konpaku said you lost consciousness for a minute or so. When you arrived here, you were awake, but as you can already tell, you have mild anterograde amnesia. I've had you under sedation since you arrived to help stabilize your brain."

Reisen's eyebrows shot upward.

"How long have I been out?"

"It says here that you were admitted at 09:38," Eirin said, tapping a finger on the clipboard. "It's about 20:30, so you were sedated for oh, a little less than eleven hours."

"Wow, that long?" Reisen's heart sank. There was no way Youmu would still be at Eientei after all that time. Certainly, she couldn't be expected to wait around for Reisen – after that morning's gut-wrenching confrontation, they were no longer together. Reisen was lucky Youmu had brought her to Eientei in the first place. She fought to keep the disappointment out of her voice. "I guess she's gone, then."

To Reisen's surprise, Eirin let out a rare chuckle, a low, throaty sound that was her equivalent of out-loud laughter.

"Konpaku? Are you kidding? We can't get rid of her. She's been in the clinic waiting room all this time. In fact, she'd have been in here with you the entire day if I'd let her. We intended to send her home, but she begged the Princess to let her stay until you woke up. She said she wanted to be the first to know that you were okay. The Princess gave in, mostly because of what you two mean to each other, but also because Konpaku's apology was quite convincing."

When Reisen heard this, a sudden rush of hope drove away her despair. Youmu hadn't abandoned her after all. Perhaps the moon-rabbit's decision not to fight had paid off, even if it had put her in the hospital.

"Please, Master, may I see her?"

"You're not getting _any_ visitors until I take a good look you. Here, let me help you sit up."

Eirin turned the crank under the head of Reisen's bed until it was raised about halfway. She was now able to look around the room without propping herself up – not that there was much to see in the first place. Painted antiseptic white, the room was sparely furnished: two beds, two nightstands, and four chairs. As a care-giver, Reisen had never noticed how soulless the place appeared.

"I want you to hold your head still, but follow my finger with your eyes," Eirin said, reclaiming the moon-rabbit's wandering attention.

After several minutes of scrutiny, the doctor scribbled down a long series of notes, then finally hung the clipboard on a hook at the foot of the bed.

"Your prognosis is excellent," she said, smiling down at Reisen. "With the medication I've prescribed, you should be much improved within 24 hours. But that concussion worries me. It's a pretty rare injury for a youkai, so I want to take extra measures to make sure you recover properly. I'm going to keep you in the inpatient unit overnight as a precaution, and starting tomorrow, you're on light duty for a week. Tewi will pick up the slack for you."

"Yes, Master."

Eirin cleared her throat, and suddenly, Reisen's stomach felt a bit queasier. She'd seen that frown, and the crossed arms that went with it, far too many times.

"In the future, Udonge, I'd like you to act with a bit more restraint. You should know better than to settle a lovers' quarrel with danmaku. That kind of brawling is beneath you. So as punishment for acting recklessly, you're confined to Eientei until next Saturday. Use the time to reflect on your actions."

"Yes, Master, I will," Reisen said, bowing her head meekly, ashamed that Eirin was disappointed in her. Still, she couldn't help wondering why the punishment was so much lighter than she was used to. As if reading her thoughts, Eirin went on to explain the reason.

"I went easy on you because Tewi admitted to starting everything."

Reisen's eyebrows flew upward.

"Wait, she _what_?"

"I only got bits and pieces out of her, but what she said was completely consistent with the information I got from Konpaku," the physician replied. "I don't know the exact details of what happened, and I'm not sure that I want to, but Tewi seems to be genuinely sorry about how things played out."

_That's a first,_ Reisen very nearly said out loud.

"Tewi seemed really depressed when she showed up at the clinic for treatment," Eirin went on to say, seemingly oblivious to the frown that had accompanied Reisen's thoughts. "And she even cried when you were brought in. I haven't seen her do that in hundreds of years. Under the circumstances, I didn't have the heart to punish her, beyond making her cover your duties for you." Eirin lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Don't tell her I told you any of this. She's ashamed enough as it is."

For the life of her, Reisen couldn't imagine Tewi ever shedding tears, much less taking the blame for anything. She wondered if the earth-rabbit hadn't taken a blow to the head after all.

"Is she okay? Physically, I mean."

"Her ribs were bruised – she said she told you about that when you triaged her – but otherwise, she's fine."

"That's a relief." Despite Reisen's anger and frustration over the sordid mess Tewi had caused, she really didn't wish physical harm on the earth-rabbit.

"I'd really like it if you accepted Tewi's apology," Eirin said. It was more an order than a request, although if Tewi was really as sorry as Eirin seemed to think, Reisen wouldn't need to be told twice. "She and Konpaku both wanted to stop by once you were awake, but after looking you over, I'm going to hold off on allowing visitors until tomorrow, except for the Princess. You need a full night's rest before you're ready. So for tonight, it'll be the nurses and me. You won't notice, anyway, because I'm going to give you another dose of sedative in a little while."

A wave of panic hit Reisen.

"But I haven't seen Youmu yet!"

The doctor's reply was gentle, yet firm.

"As I already told you, you need rest. I know Konpaku has been waiting all day, but I have to think of your recovery. I can't risk your being exposed to further emotional stress. It would hinder the healing process."

Her fragile composure unraveling, Reisen began to beg like a small child.

"Just for a few minutes? Please, Master! I need to tell her I'll be all right!"

"I'm sorry, Udonge."

Tears of frustration had been bubbling below Reisen's surface since the confrontation at the Netherworld Gate, and with this final dagger to the heart, she couldn't hold them back any longer. She buried her face in her hands, mortified at crying in front of Eirin, cursing herself inwardly for being so weak. But her longing for Youmu wouldn't go away, and neither would the tears.

After several awkward seconds, Eirin grumbled, "By Lord Tsukuyomi's Mirror, I'm ten thousand years too old for this adolescent drama. Geez, Udonge, for being almost 70, you're still like a child in so many ways." The doctor paused to let out an annoyed sigh. "If you're going to carry on like this, I suppose letting Konpaku in here would be the lesser of two evils. But she only gets to stay for a few minutes, okay?"

"Thank you so much, Master," Reisen quavered. "I don't deserve the kindness you show me."

Eirin's severe expression gave way to her usual smile.

"Think nothing of it. I was young once, too. That was a long, long time ago, but believe me, I remember how intense things can get between young girls. Now get hold of yourself. The Princess will be here soon, and I don't want her to see you like this. It'll upset her."

As she grabbed a towel from the nearby nightstand and shoved it toward Reisen, there was a knock at the door. A slender, blue-haired earth-rabbit youkai in a nurse's uniform entered the room with a serving tray, on which was a carafe and a single mug. With a nod toward Reisen, the nurse placed the tray on the nightstand and turned to Eirin.

"Here's the carrot juice you ordered, Sensei," she said. "The Princess said to tell you she's on her way."

Eirin thanked her, adding, "Go find our Netherworld guest and tell her she'll be able to visit Reisen shortly." After the nurse departed, Eirin filled the mug with juice and handed it to the moon-rabbit. "Here. Sip it slowly until we know if your stomach can handle it."

* * *

The sound of the door sliding in its track, a grating of wood on metal – that was all it took to get Reisen's heart pounding.

"This way," she heard Eirin say. "You have 30 minutes."

"Yes, ma'am," came the quiet response. "Thank you."

Youmu stood waiting just inside the doorway, as if she was afraid to come any closer, until Reisen beckoned to her. Even then, the sword-master only made it within a meter of the bed before stopping, as if she'd hit an unseen barrier.

Youmu was anything but her usual spit-and-polish self. Her normally razor-straight hair was a silver tangle in urgent need of a good brushing; the green-and-white bow that held her bangs in place sagged listlessly over her right ear. Mud stains spattered her ruffled ankle socks, skirt, and vest. Her blouse, its usual starchy crispness long since wilted away, was dotted with rust-colored stains. With a jolt, Reisen realized that they were bloodstains.

And that it was _her_ blood.

But even for all that, Reisen thought Youmu was as beautiful as the full Moon. Simply to be in the same room with her was far more effective than any medicine Eirin could have offered. Had the moon-rabbit not been fighting occasional bouts of vertigo, she would have vaulted from the bed and thrown herself into the half-human's arms.

"Youmu," she said, speaking the name with reverence, as if to a goddess.

When the warrior raised her head to reply, Reisen read the story in her hunched shoulders and puffy, red-rimmed eyes: ten thousand words worth of shame, regret, and despair. Heartbreak suffused every syllable of her response.

"Sorry for intruding."

Tomb-like silence followed the exchange of greetings. Reisen wanted desperately to break it by telling the half-human that things were all right between them, and that they'd be able to go back to the way they were before Tewi interfered. That she forgave Youmu without reservation. That she still loved Youmu with everything she had, despite everything that had happened. Something – _anything_ – to erase the heartbreak from the warrior's face.

But Reisen sensed that she shouldn't push things. Youmu needed to be the one to come to her, had to be the one to apologize. Her sense of honor demanded it. And the warrior seemed to be trying, but the right words weren't coming. Partly to break the impasse, and partly because she wanted to listen to Youmu's voice again, Reisen decided to start off with a bit of small talk.

"Um, so…where are your swords?"

"Huh?" Youmu looked startled for a moment, as if she'd been caught off-guard by the question. "Oh, right, those. They wouldn't let me bring them inside. They're out in the waiting room. My phantom half's guarding them."

Reisen hadn't noticed that Youmu's translucent alter ego was missing.

"I didn't mean to pry," she said. "You looked a little strange without them, that's all."

"That's okay. I don't mind you asking."

"Sorry for using the gas on you."

"It's nothing. Yagokoro-sensei gave me the antidote pill when I got here. But you…" Youmu paused, twiddling her fingers nervously. "…um, Sensei told me about the concussion." The corners of her mouth drooped even lower. "Geez, I've really made a mess of things."

"Don't worry about me, Youmu. I'll be all better in no time."

But Youmu wasn't listening.

"I'm not sure what happened to me," she said, seemingly talking more to herself than to Reisen. "My rational side was telling me that there's no way you'd cheat on me, but just thinking about you with another girl made me see red. I got so jealous, it was like there was a demon inside me. And then when that rabbit gave me the ribbon, I lost control. All of my warrior training, I threw it aside. It was like I'd become a different person. Someone ugly. And I said all those horrible things, and even attacked you, and you wound up here in the clinic, all because I acted like a spoiled child. I really am the worst." At this, Youmu abruptly dropped to her knees, touching her forehead to the floor in a formal bow. "Words can't express how sorry I am for what I did," she said, her voice cracking.

The traditional Japanese expression of deepest remorse hung in the air for one heartbeat, then two, before Reisen said, "There's no need for all this formality between us. It's so, I don't know, cold. Please, Youmu, stand up. I need to see your face more than anything right now. Don't hide it from me."

Slowly, Youmu rose to her feet, looking dazed – _little girl lost,_ Reisen thought.

"I don't blame you if you reject my apology, or if you don't want me by your side anymore," the warrior said, still unable to meet Reisen's gaze. "After what I did, I deserve all that, and worse. But I can bear it, now that I know you're okay. To know you're alive under the same sky as me, that's more than enough."

She turned to go, but only made it a single step before Reisen stopped her.

"Where do you think you're going? Aren't you going to wait for my response?"

With a look of surprise, Youmu turned back to face the moon-rabbit.

Unfortunately, as so often happened, Reisen had spoken before a game plan had fully formed in her head. Now she was obliged to say _something_, or Youmu would get the wrong idea altogether. But what? She couldn't come up with anything that didn't seem patronizing, demeaning, or smug.

Then the flash of insight hit Reisen squarely between her floppy ears: all the words in the world wouldn't be enough to convince Youmu she'd been forgiven. No, Youmu was all about action – she needed to be _shown_ that she'd been forgiven.

She needed a symbol.

"Youmu, do you still have that collar ribbon?"

"It's still somewhere in the grass in front of the Netherworld Gate, I guess," the warrior said, shaking her head sadly. "I meant to look for it, but with everything going on, I forgot all about it."

Reisen gestured to the ribbon at Youmu's throat.

"Never mind. This one will do."

The moon-rabbit held out her hand; Youmu stared blankly at it for a moment before untying the ribbon and laying it across Reisen's palm.

"Tie it on for me," the moon-rabbit said.

It took a few tries, because Youmu's fingers were shaking, but before too long, several loops of green satin adorned Reisen's wrist.

"This ribbon is my answer," she said, extending her forearm for emphasis. "I hope you have a spare, because I'm never going to take this one off. I'm going to wear it until it rots, as a sign that my heart belongs to Konpaku Youmu, Gardener of the Blue Sky, and only to her. I love you, Youmu. It's going to take a lot more than a knock on the head to change that. And because I love you, I forgave you, even before you asked me to."

Youmu's eyes, glistening with a barely-suppressed flood tide of emotion, met Reisen's again. Taking the moon-rabbit's proffered hand, she raised it to her lips, then pressed it to her cheek.

"When we fought, I never expected you to get seriously hurt," she said. "I mean, danmaku battles aren't supposed to do lasting damage, right? But there you were, out cold, and when I couldn't find a pulse at first, I thought my world had ended. When you woke up, well, I've never been so happy to hear anyone say my name." Her lower lip began to tremble. "Oh, Reisen-san, why didn't you evade my missiles? Why didn't you fight back?"

"I wanted you to believe me. I didn't know any other way to make that happen."

"But what if I'd wound up kill-…" The word caught in Youmu's throat. Her face crumpled, and two solitary tears slipped down her cheeks. More soon followed, dripping onto Reisen's fingers as Youmu kissed them over and over, mumbling, "Sorry, I'm so sorry," over and over.

Her display of emotion – so totally out of character for the normally composed sword-fighter – hit Reisen like a kick to the gut.

"Stop it, Youmu – you're going to make me cry, too," Reisen said, even though it was too late. "Man, I already look rugged enough," she added, pulling her hand from Youmu's and rubbing her eyes with her forearm.

In spite of her tears, Youmu let out a tiny giggle.

"Yes, you do," she said, wiping her face on her shirtsleeve. "You look like you got thrown into the side of a cliff."

"What a terrible joke," Reisen pretended to grumble. "If that wasn't the truth, I'd be really mad at you. Anyway, are you going to stand there all night, or what?" With a grunt of discomfort, she shifted to her left, then patted the bed sheet in invitation.

Youmu looked briefly toward the door, as if she expected Eirin to come sailing through it at any moment, bow in hand.

"Is it really okay?"

"It'll be harder for them to kick you _out_ of the bed than to stop you from getting _into_ it. Now hurry, get that cute butt on the mattress before someone comes."

"This first." After another wary glance at the doorway, Youmu leaned over the bed and pressed her lips gently to Reisen's. The kiss was much shorter than the moon-rabbit would have liked, but the simple expression of affection was all it took to restore order to her universe. And when Youmu lay down next to her, molding against her side, Reisen forgot all about her aches and pains – at least, until her lover attempted to wrap an arm around her badly bruised midsection.

"Ooh, not there."

"Sorry." Youmu shifted around a bit. "Is that better?"

"Perfect. I could fall asleep just like this."

"Mmm, me, too," Youmu sighed. "You're so soft and warm."

Reisen lay silent for several minutes, holding Youmu close, basking in the sweet relief that comes with reconciliation. Clearly, they still had a lot to talk through – that morning's incident had exposed some rather serious insecurities on Youmu's part – but this wasn't the time for solving relationship problems. Right then, all that mattered to Reisen was that Youmu was by her side again, in every sense.

"Hey, Reisen-san?" The sleepy murmur came from somewhere under the mop of silver hair next to her cheek.

"Hmm?"

"There's something important I need to tell you. I should have said it earlier, but I was trying not to cry, and I never got the words out."

"I'm listening," Reisen said, wondering where her lover was going with this.

Youmu pushed up on an elbow so that the moon-rabbit could see her face. Her special Reisen-only smile had finally returned.

"Just this: I love you, too, so much that I can't think straight sometimes. I'm only 81, and I still have a lot of growing up to do, so this probably won't be the last time I get jealous or clingy. But I promise you that if I ever have any doubts, I'll always have this" – her fingers traced over the ribbon on Reisen's wrist – "to remind me of the lesson I learned today."

There was no way Reisen could have replied without choking up, so she merely tightened her arms around Youmu, who snuggled into the embrace. The two settled into a comfortable silence, content simply to coexist. By the time Eirin arrived to administer Reisen's medication, they were both sound asleep.

* * *

**A/N:**

− Once again, my gratitude goes to Gray Voice for taking time out of his busy summer schedule to edit this chapter.

− For various reasons, I've elected to split what was originally intended to be Chapter 4 into two parts. Chapter 5 will now be the final chapter.

− The "traditional Japanese expression of deepest remorse" that Youmu uses when apologizing to Reisen is a reference to the phrase _makoto ni moushiwake gozaimasen deshita_. This is the deepest and most humble form of apology in spoken Japanese.

* * *

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